Second 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.
Second Rutte cabinet
Rutte–Asscher cabinet
Rutte–Asscher cabinet
5 November 2012
26 October 2017
4 years, 355 days in office
(Demissionary from 14 March 2017)
Queen Beatrix
(2012–2013)
King Willem-Alexander
(2013–2017)
13
4
17
People's Party for
Freedom and Democracy
(VVD)
Labour Party
(PvdA)
The cabinet served in the middle of the 2010s. Domestically, it had to deal with the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster, which was shot down by a surface-to-air missile killing 193 Dutch citizens on board, 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. With 4 years, 355 days in office, it is the longest serving post-war cabinet in the Netherlands.[1]