Second Rutte cabinet

Second Rutte cabinet
*Rutte–Asscher cabinet*
Second Rutte cabinet ; Rutte–Asscher cabinet
; Cabinet of the Netherlands
	The installation of the second Rutte cabinet on 5 November 2012
Date formed	5 November 2012
Date dissolved	26 October 2017 ; 4 years, 355 days in office ; (Demissionary from 14 March 2017)
People and organisations
Monarch	Queen Beatrix ; (2012–2013) ; King Willem-Alexander ; (2013–2017)
Prime Minister	Mark Rutte
Deputy Prime Minister	Lodewijk Asscher
No. of ministers	13
Ministers removed	4
Total no. of members	17
Member party	People's Party for ; Freedom and Democracy ; (VVD) ; Labour Party ; (PvdA)
Status in legislature	Centrist ; Majority government ; (Grand coalition/Purple) 79/150 (52.6%) ; ; ;
History
Election	2012 election
Outgoing election	2017 election
Legislature terms	2012–2017
Incoming formation	2012 formation
Outgoing formation	2017 formation
Predecessor	First Rutte cabinet
Successor	Third Rutte cabinet

The second Rutte cabinet, also called the Rutte–Asscher cabinet, was the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands from 5 November 2012 until 26 October 2017. The cabinet was formed by the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the social-democratic Labour Party (PvdA) after the election of 2012. The cabinet was a centrist grand coalition and had a slim majority in the House of Representatives. VVD Leader Mark Rutte served as Prime Minister; prominent PvdA politician Lodewijk Asscher, a former alderman of Amsterdam, served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment.

The cabinet served in the middle of the 2010s. Domestically, it had to deal with the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster, in which 193 Dutch citizens on board were killed when that civilian aircraft was shot down over Ukraine by a surface-to-air missile; while internationally, climate change was a major point of attention. The cabinet suffered several major internal conflicts such as multiple cabinet resignations, including those of two Justice Ministers. The cabinet completed its entire term, and was succeeded by the third Rutte cabinet following the 2017 election. Having spent four years and 355 days in office, it is the longest-serving post-war cabinet in the Netherlands.^[1]

Cabinet members

Ministers			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Mark Rutte (born 1967)	Prime Minister	General Affairs		14 October 2010 – Incumbent ^[Retained] ^[Continued]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Lodewijk Asscher (born 1974)	Deputy Prime Minister	Social Affairs and Employment		5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
		Dr. Lodewijk Asscher (born 1974)	Minister	Social Affairs and Employment		5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
		Dr. Ronald Plasterk (born 1957)	Minister	Interior and Kingdom Relations		5 November 2012 – 29 June 2016 ^[Note]	Labour Party
		Stef Blok (born 1964)				29 June 2016 – 16 September 2016 ^[Acting]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Ronald Plasterk (born 1957)				16 September 2016 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
		Frans Timmermans (born 1961)	Minister	Foreign Affairs		5 November 2012 – 17 October 2014 ^[App]	Labour Party
		Bert Koenders (born 1958)	Minister	Foreign Affairs		17 October 2014 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
		Jeroen Dijsselbloem (born 1966)	Minister	Finance		5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
		Ivo Opstelten (born 1944)	Minister	Security and Justice		14 October 2010 – 10 March 2015 ^[Retained] ^[Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Stef Blok (born 1964)				10 March 2015 – 20 March 2015 ^{[Ad Interim]}	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Ard van der Steur (born 1969)				20 March 2015 – 27 January 2017 ^[Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Stef Blok (born 1964)				27 January 2017 – 26 October 2017	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Henk Kamp (born 1952)	Minister	Economic Affairs		5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Jeanine Hennis- Plasschaert (born 1973)	Minister	Defence		5 November 2012 – 4 October 2017 ^[Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Klaas Dijkhoff (born 1981)	Minister	Defence		4 October 2017 – 26 October 2017	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Edith Schippers (born 1964)	Minister	Health, Welfare and Sport		14 October 2010 – 26 October 2017 ^[Retained]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Jet Bussemaker (born 1961)	Minister	Education, Culture and Science		5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
		Melanie Schultz van Haegen (born 1970)	Minister	Infrastructure and the Environment		14 October 2010 – 26 October 2017 ^[Retained]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Ministers without portfolio			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Stef Blok (born 1964)	Minister	Interior and Kingdom Relations	• State-owned Businesses • Independent Government Agencies • Rijksvastgoedbedrijf [nl]	5 November 2012 – 27 January 2017 ^[App]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Lilianne Ploumen (born 1962)	Minister	Foreign Affairs	• Trade and Export • Development Cooperation	5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
State Secretaries			Title/Ministry/Portfolio(s)			Term of office	Party
		Frans Weekers (born 1967)	State Secretary	Finance	• Fiscal Policy • Tax and Customs • Governmental Budget	14 October 2010 – 30 January 2014 ^[Retained] ^[Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Eric Wiebes (born 1963)	State Secretary	Finance	• Fiscal Policy • Tax and Customs • Governmental Budget	4 February 2014 – 26 October 2017	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Fred Teeven (born 1958)	State Secretary ^[Title]	Security and Justice	• Immigration and Asylum • Integration • Public Prosecution • Civil Law • Property Law • Victims' Rights • Judicial Reform • Youth Justice • Penitentiaries • Debt • Gambling • Minorities	14 October 2010 – 10 March 2015 ^[Retained] ^[Res]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Klaas Dijkhoff (born 1981)	State Secretary ^[Title]	Security and Justice		20 March 2015 – 4 October 2017 ^[App]	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Dr. Co Verdaas (born 1966)	State Secretary ^[Title]	Economic Affairs	• Agriculture • Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit [nl] • Nature • Fisheries • Forestry • Animal Welfare • Tourism	5 November 2012 – 6 December 2012 ^[Res]	Labour Party
		Sharon Dijksma (born 1971)				18 December 2012 – 3 November 2015 ^[App]	Labour Party
		Martijn van Dam (born 1978)				3 November 2015 – 1 September 2017 ^[Res]	Labour Party
	Martin van Rijn	Martin van Rijn (born 1956)	State Secretary	Health, Welfare and Sport	• Elderly Care • Youth Care • Disability Policy • Medical Ethics • Pharmaceutical Policy	5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
		Jetta Klijnsma (born 1957)	State Secretary	Social Affairs and Employment	• Social Security • Unemployment • Occupational Safety • Social Services • Equality • Emancipation	5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party
		Sander Dekker (born 1975)	State Secretary	Education, Culture and Science	• Higher Education • Science Policy • Media • Culture • Art	5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Wilma Mansveld (born 1962)	State Secretary ^[Title]	Infrastructure and the Environment	• Public Transport • Aviation • Rail Transport • Environmental Policy • Weather Forecasting	5 November 2012 – 28 October 2015 ^[Res]	Labour Party
		Sharon Dijksma (born 1971)	State Secretary ^[Title]	Infrastructure and the Environment		3 November 2015 – 26 October 2017	Labour Party

^Resigned

^{Retained from the previous cabinet}

^{Continued in the next cabinet}

^Acting

^{Ad Interim}

^{Designated with the diplomatic rank of Minister}

^{Medical leave of absence from 29 June 2016 until 16 September 2016}

^{Appointed as European Commissioner}

^{Appointed as Minister of Security and Justice}

^{Appointed as Minister of Defence}

^{Appointed as State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment}

Changes

On 6 December 2012, just 31 days after taking office, State Secretary for Economic Affairs Co Verdaas (PvdA) resigned after he was accused of making inappropriate declarations when he served as a Member of the Provincial-Executive of Gelderland.^[2] He was replaced as State Secretary for Economic Affairs by former State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science Sharon Dijksma (PvdA) on 18 December 2012.^[3]

On 17 October 2014 Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans (PvdA) resigned after he was nominated as the next European Commissioner succeeding Neelie Kroes.^[4] He was replaced as Minister of Foreign Affairs by Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations in Mali and former Minister for Development Cooperation Bert Koenders (PvdA).^[5]

On 10 March 2015 Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten (VVD) and State Secretary for Security and Justice Fred Teeven (VVD) resigned after it was discovered that Fred Teeven when he served as a Prosecutor authorized the return of 4.7 million guilders to convicted drugs dealer Cees H. in 2000 without the knowledge of his superior or the tax office.^[6]

On 4 October 2017 Minister of Defence Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (VVD) resigned following a critical report by the Dutch Safety Board into the investigation of the accidental deaths of two Army soldiers who died following the use of old ammunition during a Mortar test during the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali.^[7] She was replaced as Minister of Defence by State Secretary for Security and Justice Klaas Dijkhoff (VVD) who served out the remaining three weeks before the installation of the new cabinet.^[8]

References

^ "Dutch queen swears in new centrist government under Prime Minister Mark Rutte". Fox News World. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
^ "Staatssecretaris Co Verdaas stapt op" (in Dutch). NU.nl. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
^ "Sharon Dijksma staatssecretaris" (in Dutch). NOS. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
^ "Timmermans voorgedragen als Eurocommissaris" (in Dutch). NU.nl. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
^ "Bert Koenders nieuwe minister van Buitenlandse Zaken" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
^ "Tijdlijn opstappen Opstelten en Teeven" (in Dutch). NOS. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
^ "Hennis treedt af om dodelijk ongeval Mali" (in Dutch). NOS. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
^ "Dijkhoff voor even minister van Defensie" (in Dutch). NOS. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

External links

Official

(in Dutch) Kabinet-Rutte II Parlement & Politiek
(in Dutch) Kabinet-Rutte-Asscher Rijksoverheid

[1] "Dutch queen swears in new centrist government under Prime Minister Mark Rutte". Fox News World. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2017.

[2] "Staatssecretaris Co Verdaas stapt op" (in Dutch). NU.nl. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

[3] "Sharon Dijksma staatssecretaris" (in Dutch). NOS. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

[4] "Timmermans voorgedragen als Eurocommissaris" (in Dutch). NU.nl. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

[5] "Bert Koenders nieuwe minister van Buitenlandse Zaken" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

[6] "Tijdlijn opstappen Opstelten en Teeven" (in Dutch). NOS. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

[7] "Hennis treedt af om dodelijk ongeval Mali" (in Dutch). NOS. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

[8] "Dijkhoff voor even minister van Defensie" (in Dutch). NOS. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.

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