Rob Jetten, 38, could become the Netherlands’ first openly gay prime minister, alongside his fiancé, an Olympic champion.
At the head of the centrist Democrats 66 (D66) party, he led a breakthrough campaign marked by an optimistic and progressive rhetoric, directly opposing Geert Wilders’ populist and anti-immigration stance.
In the October 29 elections, the D66 achieved a spectacular breakthrough, gaining 17 seats, while Wilders’ far-right party lost 11. A symbolic reversal of trend in a country where reactionary discourse has dominated the political scene in recent years.
Jetten, openly gay, defends an inclusive and forward-looking vision, organized around cooperation, housing, and the climate. He also confronted Geert Wilders, accusing him of instrumentalizing LGBTQ+ rights to fuel Islamophobia in the country.
On Instagram, on the evening of the election, Jetten urged his supporters to believe in a collective future: “Today we decide the direction of our country. Either we remain in resentment and stagnation, or we turn the page on Wilders together. I believe in a country that dares to dream, that chooses hope, cooperation, and solutions.”
If he succeeds in forming a coalition, Rob Jetten will become not only the youngest, but also the first openly gay prime minister in the history of the Netherlands.
