Second Rutte cabinet


The Second Rutte cabinet, also called the Rutte–Asscher cabinet, was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 5 November 2012 until 26 October 2017. The cabinet was formed by the political parties People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and the Labour Party after the election of 2012.
The grand coalition cabinet was a majority government in the House of Representatives. The second of three cabinets headed by Mark Rutte, the Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, it was the last cabinet installed by Queen Beatrix. Lodewijk Asscher of the Labour Party, an alderman from Amsterdam, served as Deputy Prime Minister.

Composition

List

Changes

On 6 December 2012, just 31 days after taking office, State Secretary for Economic Affairs Co Verdaas resigned after he was accused of making inappropriate declarations when he served as a Member of the Provincial-Executive of Gelderland. He was replaced as State Secretary for Economic Affairs by former State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science Sharon Dijksma on 18 December 2012.
On 17 October 2014 Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans resigned after he was nominated as the next European Commissioner succeeding Neelie Kroes. He was replaced as Minister of Foreign Affairs by Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations in Mali and former Minister for Development Cooperation Bert Koenders.
On 10 March 2015 Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten and State Secretary for Security and Justice Fred Teeven resigned after it was discovered that Fred Teeven when he served as a Prosecutor authorized the return of 4.7 million guilders to convicted drugs dealer Cees H. in 2000 without the knowledge of his superior or the tax office.
On 4 October 2017 Minister of Defence Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert resigned following a critical report by the Dutch Safety Board into the investigation of the accidental deaths of two Army soldiers who died following the use of old ammunition during a Mortar test during the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. She was replaced as Minister of Defence by State Secretary for Security and Justice Klaas Dijkhoff who served out the remaining three weeks before the installation of the new cabinet.