Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem announced that he will quit national politics as of Oct 25th, but he will stay on as the Eurogroup head until January 2018. He was caretaker finance minister after his party suffered big losses in the national elections in March. He will also quit the leadership of his party and hand back his seat.
Dijsselbloem’s Labour party was heavily defeated in the March 15 election and will not be part of the new government, agreed this week after months of coalition talks.
“I am leaving Dutch politics. It is not easy,” he wrote in a letter published by the party.
“I have reached the conclusion that is this position, this stage, I don’t have the fire power.”
“Dijsselbloem did not say what he intends to do when he steps down on Oct. 25 but has already said he will complete his term as head of the Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers which expires in mid-January,” notes reuters.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem will have to seek another professional path when the new Dutch coalition government takes office in approximately two weeks.
I recently read on internet that the Dutch economy was doing great in the time its political parties were negotiating the new coalition government.
I assume, Dijsselbloem will not be missed by the Dutch – not to mention the Greeks.
He will go down to history as the Eurogroup head who was always loyally following His Master’s Voice.
The protagonists in the Greek Drama, Schaeuble and Dijsselbloem go just when they are about to launch a closer integration of the eurozone.
PS Dijsselbloem may finally make use of his diploma and retire in a farm growing euro in small pots.
