Who is the Netherlands’ First Gay Prime Minister, Rob Jetten?

Key Points:

After the historic victory of the Netherlands’ social-liberal party, Democrats 66 (D66), in the 2025 parliamentary elections, the country has chosen its new leader. D66 leader and Dutch politician Rob Jetten has become the new Prime Minister of the Netherlands and assumed office from 23 February 2026. D66 secured a narrow victory against its closest rival, the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), founded and led by Geert Wilders.

With a majority of 29,668 votes, the 38-year-old Jetten defeated Wilders and became the youngest prime minister of the Netherlands.

See Also: Extremists Align in Targeting LGBTQ+ Communities

His victory has been marked as a milestone, as Jetten is the Netherlands’ first openly gay prime minister. Jetten’s journey to the top began in 2017, when he was elected to the House of Representatives in the 2017 general election. Almost a decade later, he succeeded Dutch politician Dick Schoof who served as the prime minister of the Netherlands between 2024 and 2026.

Who is Rob Jetten?

Rob Arnoldus Adrianus Jetten is a Dutch politician born in 1987 and has been serving as the head of D66 since 2023. Jetten’s political journey started as a policy advisor for the D66 party in the Dutch Senate. He also served as the leader of the Young Democrats youth organization.

After becoming a member of the House of Representatives in 2017, he became the party’s spokesperson for economic affairs, climate, railways, and other issues. Jetten was born in the town of Uden, where he studied business administration. He also worked at a government-owned railway infrastructure company.

Apart from his thriving political career, his personal life has always been an open book. He received the quirky nickname “Robot Jetten” after his over-rehearsed interviews caught public attention. He later adopted a more casual communication style to transform his public image. By 2018, he had become the youngest leader of D66 at the age of 31.

Jetten has been open about his personal relationships. Rob Jetten is in a relationship with Argentine field hockey player Nicolás Keenan. He is a forward for the Dutch Hoofdklasse club Klein Switzerland and also plays for the Argentine national team. The couple first interacted in the classic “he (Jetten) slid into my DMs” way. Later on, Keenan came out as bisexual in 2023.

Jetten and his 28-year-old boyfriend have been engaged since 2024. The same year, Jetten received the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, Spain’s prestigious civilian award. The honour is bestowed upon individuals who contribute to climate policy, public service, and related fields.

From describing himself as a geek who read two newspapers before going to school to becoming the first-ever gay prime minister of the Netherlands, Rob Jetten has rewritten history.

[VS]

Suggested Reading: