Prime minister calls out to ‘Caroliene’ during debate lapse

Prime minister Mark Rutte, who suffered a momentary blackout during Tuesday night’s televised final electoral debate between party leaders, has called his lapse ‘a nightmare’. 

The moment came when the prime minister, who was pitted against PvdA’s Lodewijk Asscher, was going to mention two examples of uniting the Dutch but failed to come up with the second example.

‘What was the second example again? Caroliene, help, I’m lost,’ a smiling Rutte said as he turned to the audience.

On social media speculation about Caroliene exploded with suggestions she could be the famously single prime minister’s girlfriend.

Rutte was also praised for being ‘honest’ and ‘creative’ in a painful situation and it was suggested the blackout could have been the result of tiredness connected with the Utrecht shooting which required his constant attention.

The Caroliene in question is Rutte’s assistant Caroliene Hermans, the daughter of former VVD minister Loek Hermans and who stepped in her sister Sophie Hermans’ foorsteps as the prime minister’s right hand woman. It is unclear if Caroliene was actually in the audience during the debate.

Rutte told reporters afterwards he had ‘prepared himself thoroughly but what a nightmare to forget something at a time like this.’ In a reaction to the comment that ‘this never happens to you’, he said ‘Never. Isn’t is too bad?’

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation