Following the storming of the Capitol in Washington DC by Trump supporters on Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Rutte took to Twitter, pleading with the US president to accept President-Elect Joe Biden’s win and allow for a peaceful transition of power.
Up until now, Rutte has had relatively little to say in regards to the ongoing debate in the USA. Following Biden’s win in November, the Dutch Prime Minister did take to Twitter to congratulate him on the win, but unlike other Dutch politicians, he refrained from speaking out against the incumbent president.
Rutte is not the only European leader to speak out against the events in the US on Wednesday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the scenes “disgraceful,” while German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed anger and sadness, explicitly stating that she held Trump responsible for the events that occurred.
Meanwhile, US ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra said images of protestors in Washington “broke his heart:”
Leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), Geert Wilders, also condemned the actions of protestors, saying “the outcome of democratic elections should always be respected, whether you win or lose,” while GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver called the events “a reminder that democracy is vulnerable” and should be protected against “conspiracies, hate, and racism.”