4 Mark Rutte THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE Illustration by Jaya Nicely for POLITICO

The Franco-German axis is back. But if Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron aim to pilot the jumbo jet that is Europe toward tighter integration, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte plans to be in the control tower calling them back down to earth. “I am a politician so I am not against talking,” says Rutte. “But I am also very practical. There is always risk in general that we like more to think about next steps instead of ‘Hey guys, there is still a lot to be done.’”

Credited with breaking the populist wave by fending off his far-right challenger Geert Wilders in the national election last spring, Rutte, 50, has emerged as the most prominent liberal voice on the European Council — and a top contender to replace Donald Tusk as its president in 2019.

A political Goldilocks who believes his Dutch-style not-too-hot, not-too-cold temperament offers the best path forward for Europe, Rutte has moved to fill the void caused by Brexit, assembling a coalition of like-minded nations to serve as a counterweight — or third pole — to French and German dominance.

What remains to be seen is whether Rutte will throw his weight behind Paris and Berlin’s push for economic and political integration, or whether he will take on the blocking role historically played by the United Kingdom. The answer, according to those who know him best, is: both.

Rutte maintains voters are swayed less by lofty words than concrete deliverables, and he has pushed his fellow leaders to focus less on the next big thing and more on the bloc’s unfinished to-do list — specifically issues like migration, security and unemployment that have fueled populist parties across the Continent. “Complaining to our voters that they should not vote for these parties is not a solution,” he says. “The solution is taking care of legitimate worries of our populations.”

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