Rob Jetten Becomes Youngest and First Openly Gay Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Rob Jetten has become the youngest and first openly gay prime minister of the Netherlands after his minority government was sworn in.
The 38-year-old secured victory in October's election with his Democrats 66 party (D66) narrowly defeating anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders in a closely contested race.
Jetten formed a centre-right minority government in coalition with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA).
This minority cabinet means that every major reform outlined in the coalition agreement—from an additional €19bn (£16.6bn) allocated to defence to significant cuts in healthcare and benefits—will require negotiation and approval on a vote-by-vote basis in the Netherlands' two parliamentary chambers.
The coalition also aims to reduce the number of asylum seekers, proposing that refugees apply for asylum outside Europe rather than after arrival.
Asylum migration has been a particularly sensitive topic in Dutch politics, contributing to the collapse of the country's last two coalition governments.
Jetten succeeds Dick Schoof as prime minister, who led one of the shortest-lived governments in Dutch history.
D66 will provide seven ministers, VVD six, and CDA five, with each party appointing three state secretaries, who serve as junior cabinet members.
Jetten was formally sworn in by King Willem-Alexander at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague on Monday.
Sharing a selfie ahead of his swearing-in ceremony, Jetten wrote on X:
"Proud to be doing this together. In a new phase, with great responsibility and, above all, a shared promise to work for everyone in the Netherlands.
By not dwelling on what's wrong, but by building on what can be improved. That requires courage and collaboration."
‘Let's Get to Work’
Once known as "Robot Jetten" for his stiff and overly rehearsed television appearances, Jetten has spent years shedding that image.
The transformation was evident on election night. In a crowded, energetic music venue in Leiden, located between Amsterdam and The Hague, he appeared relaxed, confident, and well-groomed as enthusiastic young supporters cheered around him.
For many attendees that night, the D66 leader represented a stark contrast to Wilders: relatively young, optimistic, pro-European Union, and socially liberal—a fresh face challenging the older, hard-right establishment.
Standing beside the King on a red carpet cascading down the palace steps on Monday, Jetten presented himself as a polished and composed premier.
After his confirmation as prime minister, he posted the official photograph on Instagram with a succinct caption:
"Let's get to work."
Wilders, who withdrew from his own right-wing coalition in June, has declared he will oppose any initiatives proposed by Jetten's government, while other parties have expressed concerns about the plans introduced so far.
Jesse Klaver, leader of the GreenLeft-Labour coalition—the largest opposition alliance—commented on X regarding the government's financial proposals:
"Ordinary people will pay hundreds of Euros more, while the very richest won't be asked to pay anything extra.
That's unfair and won't help the Netherlands move forward. We take responsibility for adjusting these plans. This has to change."
