But Mark Rutte told MPs and reporters in The Hague on Monday he would not be standing in the next elections after his divided coalition government collapsed last Friday over asylum policy.
The decision brings to an end the 56-year-old's 17-year tenure as leader of the liberal-conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and 13 years as prime minister of the Netherlands.
As the EU's longest-serving government leader after Hungary's Viktor Orbán, his name has been floated for several jobs, including at Nato and the European Council.
However, Rutte said he harboured no such ambitions. He teaches social studies once a week at a high school in The Hague. "Maybe I'll do it a couple of times a week," he said.
This story is from the July 14, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the July 14, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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