Dutch king to swear in new ruling coalition, Rutte’s 4th

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch King Willem-Alexander is swearing in a new ruling coalition, led for the fourth time by Mark Rutte. The ceremony Monday comes amid a nationwide coronavirus lockdown and policy challenges ranging from climate change to housing shortages to the future of agriculture. It follows a record-breaking coalition formation process that began after a general election on March 17 last year that laid bare deep divisions in the splintered Dutch political landscape. Rutte, 54, has already led three coalitions and is now set to become the Netherlands’ longest serving prime miister despite only narrowly surviving a no-confidence motion in parliament in April.