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

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has embarked on a fourth term. He leads a coalition that took office Monday amid a nationwide coronavirus lockdown and policy challenges ranging from climate change and housing shortages to the future of agriculture. King Willem-Alexander formally swore in the new government at a socially-distanced ceremony in the ballroom of the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague. The ceremony came after a record-breaking coalition formation process following the March 17 general election that highlighted deep divisions in the splintered Dutch political landscape. Rutte has already led three coalitions and is now set to become the Netherlands’ longest-serving prime minister despite only narrowly surviving a no-confidence motion in parliament in April.