The Dutch about their selfie with Rutte: ‘We will soon get some bumbling, you don’t want that either’ | Politics

‘Hi! Naturally! Nice dude!’ That must have happened about 100,000 times over the past thirteen years, when Mark Rutte was asked if he just happened to want to make time for a photo. Around the Binnenhof, on a working visit, during campaign time (especially then of course): wherever the prime minister came, the mobile phones were put on selfie mode, their teeth bared. Who doesn’t actually have a selfie with Mark Rutte, you are almost inclined to think.

Stijn van Kervinck (27) certainly does. In 2016, de Zeeuw was walking near the Binnenhof when he heard behind him: ‘There he is!’ “Rutte was standing there waiting for a passing tram. So I approached him as fast as I could and asked if I could take a selfie. ‘Fine, he said, but let’s not do it here on the tram tracks, or we won’t survive.’”

The photo was taken a little further on. “Before he walked on, Rutte asked where I came from. I thought it was special. He has a lot on his mind and yet that bit of interest. Very attentive.”

As a member of the Christian choir Connection, Jessica ten Bosch (46) had ‘the special honor’ in 2019 to perform at the Prinsjesdag celebrations in the Grote Kerk in her hometown of The Hague. “Rutte was also there, just like many other dignitaries. We took the selfie afterwards. It all went very fast. Someone picked up the phone, asked him if he wanted to be in the picture, no sooner said than done. It was of course a very nice moment for us as a choir.”

Rutte had ‘a certain charm’, Ten Bosch saw during the Prinsjesdag celebrations. ,,And he kept it for a long time, even when he got into more and more political difficulties. In the end it was a bit over with him, I think many Dutch people agree with me. That’s why it’s good that he made this decision.”

Lars Westra (16) was even allowed to interview the prime minister extensively a few years ago for the Children’s Correspondent. “That was during the last election campaign. It was a very long conversation, Rutte took so much time for us. The way he talked to us was really nice. He was genuinely interested, I really liked him.”

For the young Westra, Rutte is the only prime minister he ever consciously experienced. ,,That’s right, that’s why I was quite shocked this morning when I heard it. The VVD is not my party. I was shocked that Rutte dropped the cabinet because he wants to limit family reunification for refugees. He should also have done more in terms of tackling the climate problem. But as a person I thought he was a very good Prime Minister. He always tried to connect everyone and to be above the parties.”

Choir member Ten Bosch came to a similar conclusion. The VVD is not her party, but… ,, As a person, Rutte has simply done well. He is very intelligent, good with people. I also found him to be a good representative internationally. He was respected worldwide, which gave us a kind of pride. I think many Dutch people had that. In that regard, I hold my breath now. I really can’t imagine who should take over that role. Soon we will get some kind of bumbling, you don’t want that either.”

Van Kervinck, himself a municipal councilor in Veere for Hart for Veere, says he respects Rutte’s prime ministership. ,,Although I’ve become less and less a fan of him lately, he was just over his shelf life. What I will remember from him is the evening in Vlissingen when he had to come and explain why Zeeland would not get a marine barracks. I was there. It was not a good decision for Zeeland, people were angry. But Rutte did have the guts to come. And he held his own in his characteristic way: he was jovial, approached everyone decently.”