Like the proverbial cat with nine lives, Mark Rutte survived every crisis, his hold on power seemed unshakable. But now his lengthy time in office appears to be drawing to a long-overdue close.
While I know, you, me and a lot of other people would be delighted for this to be end of Rutte (latest long trending dictator-muppet of NL), I fear that propaganda spins will be such that the asswipe may be rehabilitated again. I think it was Paula Densnow that noted how failures of character do not discredit people but powers that be and MSM do.....so we shall see .
Trust me, I'm as skeptical as you. Whatever one thinks of Mark Rutte, he is exceptionally proficient at striking backroom deals. It would not surprise me one bit to see him back in the saddle next year. That said, the Rutte-fatigue is palpable, it really really really is time for a new face. Thing is, the deeply entrenched establishment will do everything in its considerable power to maintain the status quo, and that means ensuring someone equally opportunistic and servile takes over.
Outside of the cosmopolitan centers the farmers have very substantial support; agriculture is such an integral part of the national identity. That said, it may yet take awhile for a coherent and convincing alternative to the Brussels/Davos-driven status quo to gain traction. Thanks for commenting!
I wouldn't be surprised if that weasel manages to shove Rutte V into place. Political parties that believe things, anything at all, have given way to parties that are vehicles for careerists. Same in the US, really.
None of us should be surprised... because we've seen it already once before! Rutte III collapsed in January 2022 on account of a dreadful scandal that emerged concerning childcare support payments. Rutte suffered the indignity of a no-confidence vote and it looked very much like the end of the road for him. Elections were held, his party managed to maintain its lead, and after an agonizing nine months of negotiations, Rutte emerged with his fourth coalition cabinet with exactly the same parties, namely those who censured him over the scandal. As I've said various times on these pages, Rutte is masterful at manipulating these situations to his personal benefit. If one is not encumbered by principles or even a basic moral compass, the sky is the limit with regard to what you will agree too. Our system cultivate these kinds of cynical, scheming politicians.
While I know, you, me and a lot of other people would be delighted for this to be end of Rutte (latest long trending dictator-muppet of NL), I fear that propaganda spins will be such that the asswipe may be rehabilitated again. I think it was Paula Densnow that noted how failures of character do not discredit people but powers that be and MSM do.....so we shall see .
Trust me, I'm as skeptical as you. Whatever one thinks of Mark Rutte, he is exceptionally proficient at striking backroom deals. It would not surprise me one bit to see him back in the saddle next year. That said, the Rutte-fatigue is palpable, it really really really is time for a new face. Thing is, the deeply entrenched establishment will do everything in its considerable power to maintain the status quo, and that means ensuring someone equally opportunistic and servile takes over.
Great news to see the end of another Davos bot. Well done to those Dutch farmers!
Outside of the cosmopolitan centers the farmers have very substantial support; agriculture is such an integral part of the national identity. That said, it may yet take awhile for a coherent and convincing alternative to the Brussels/Davos-driven status quo to gain traction. Thanks for commenting!
Yes, the alternatives will take time to build - in normal times at least. But we don't live in normal times and things can change very quickly.
I wouldn't be surprised if that weasel manages to shove Rutte V into place. Political parties that believe things, anything at all, have given way to parties that are vehicles for careerists. Same in the US, really.
None of us should be surprised... because we've seen it already once before! Rutte III collapsed in January 2022 on account of a dreadful scandal that emerged concerning childcare support payments. Rutte suffered the indignity of a no-confidence vote and it looked very much like the end of the road for him. Elections were held, his party managed to maintain its lead, and after an agonizing nine months of negotiations, Rutte emerged with his fourth coalition cabinet with exactly the same parties, namely those who censured him over the scandal. As I've said various times on these pages, Rutte is masterful at manipulating these situations to his personal benefit. If one is not encumbered by principles or even a basic moral compass, the sky is the limit with regard to what you will agree too. Our system cultivate these kinds of cynical, scheming politicians.