Dutch PM Rutte says he won't take top EU job
Prime Minister Mark Rutte says he has no plans to take a position in either the European Union or European Commission, and put an end to his Netherlands political career. Now leading his third cabinet as PM, Rutte has held the top job for over eight years.
"I'm staying. I'm not going to Brussels," he told NPO Radio 1's 10P1.
He said it would be irrelevant for other European leaders to try and persuade him to resign as Prime Minister to sit in a position like European President or European Commission Chairman. Rutte wants to serve the entire duration of the current cabinet.
He joked that it is "painful" that neither German Chancellor Angela Merkel nor French President Emmanuel Macron have asked him to take a job in Brussels. "They should have done that a long time ago," he quipped. "But the answer is no."
Rumors of Rutte being asked to take a top European post have been swirling around for months, the Telegraph reported.
"I think that I now have influence in Europe for the Netherlands, because I am sitting there a long time and I know everyone. I can try to help forge coalitions and work on solutions such as with the migration crisis and the Euro," he said.
