THE HAGUE: The Dutch could be forgiven a feeling of deja vu as four-time premier Mark Rutte's new government is sworn in on Monday featuring many of the same faces as before.
But is it really just musical chairs, or will the coalition dubbed "Rutte IV" be the new hope on climate and other issues that they have promised?
Here are some key figures in the new four-party coalition:
Prime Minister Mark Rutte
Famed for cycling to work, the 54-year-old Rutte of the centre-right VVD party has been dubbed "Mr Normal" -- in a country where "be normal" is a rule of thumb.
The bachelor's low-key style and consensus politics have helped the former Unilever manager negotiate the complex world of Dutch politics to stay in office since 2010.
But he has other nicknames too, including the "Teflon" premier, for his ability to dodge scandals and cling to power while allies have fallen by the wayside.
In Europe, Rutte has earned the sobriquet "Mr No" for his opposition to bailouts for debt- and Covid-hit southern European nations.
Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag
Ex-UN diplomat Kaag, 60, is the first woman to take the prized finance minister's job after leading her progressive D66 party to a surprise second-place election finish that saw her pictured dancing on a table.
Kaag, who will also become deputy PM, is already set to ease the Netherlands' notorious frugality with spending pledges on climate -- and could help smooth ties with EU nations angered by Dutch calls for austerity.
A mother-of-four married to a former Palestinian ambassador, she has taken on tough jobs in the past including as the head of the UN-led operation to destroy Syria's chemical weapons.
Kaag will now be well-placed for a shot at the premiership if Rutte falls -- -- though her copybook was blotted by her resignation as foreign minister over the shambolic Dutch evacuations from Kabul in August last year.
Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra
The straight-talking Hoekstra, 46, is leaving the finance ministry where his hawkish approach to EU spending made him a divisive figure in Brussels.
The father-of-four effectively swaps jobs with Kaag after his centre-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party slumped in the elections in March.
Hoekstra's experience will serve him well in a post that in recent years has seen the Netherlands lock horns with Russia on issues including the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014.
Tall and direct, Hoekstra has, however, shown a softer side, admitting last year that the Dutch lacked empathy for southern Europe's battle with Covid.
Health Minister Ernst Kuipers
Medical professor Kuipers, 62, is taking on his first political role as health minister in which he will be responsible for driving the government's Covid response.
He is known to the public due to TV appearances as head of a Dutch organisation responsible for moving coronavirus patients to hospitals around the country.
He replaces Hugo de Jonge, who became the face of the government's Covid effort with his press conferences, and his spectacular array of multicoloured shoes.
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