Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte on Monday described former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher as an icon who transformed the country.

‘I think we all know Margaret Thatcher as an icon in English and European politics,’ Rutte said in a reaction to Thatcher’s death at the age of 87. ‘England was changed beyond all recognition, improved and strengthened when she left office in 1990, compared to when she started in 1979.’

The death of Thatcher was central in the evening news programmes, almost overshadowing the visit to the Netherlands by Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin.

‘Margaret Thatcher left an indelible mark on the world,’ website nu.nl said in its obituary, which also focused on her opposition to the European Union.