THE HAGUE, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Dutch Finance Minister and Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem announced his retirement from Dutch politics on Wednesday.
In a letter to Khadija Arib, chairman of the lower house of parliament, he explained his decision.
With nine of the 150 seats left for his party PvdA (Labor) in the lower house of parliament and without a role in the new cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the 51-year-old politician lacks the motivation to continue.
"My party has to continue with nine warriors," Dijsselbloem stated. "I came to the conclusion that in this role, in this phase, I don't have the power for that."
Dijsselbloem will still finish his term as Eurogroup chairman until Jan. 13 next year, the European Union Ministers of Finance decided in a recent meeting.
Normally the chairman has to be minister as well, but Dijsselbloem can stay on until a successor is chosen on Jan. 13. He has been chairman of the Eurogroup since January 2013.
Since 2000, Dijsselbloem was MP on behalf of the PvdA in the Dutch lower house. In 2012, he was appointed Minister of Finance in the VVD, PvdA coalition government of PM Rutte. He has not announced what he plans to do next.
