It’s Official! Rob Jetten Will Be The Netherlands’ First Openly Gay Prime Minister
UPDATE: It’s official! Rob Jetten will be the next Prime Minister of the Netherlands, becoming the first-ever openly gay man to hold the office. We’ve been tracking this since he was first flagged as a potential leader, and after weeks of tense coalition negotiations, the D66 leader has secured the top job. It’s a huge moment for the Netherlands and for LGBTQIA+ visibility in government, placing a progressive, climate-focused voice on the world stage. We’ll be watching closely to see what comes next.
The Netherlands looks poised to get its youngest and first openly gay prime minister. Rob Jetten, the 38-year-old leader of the centrist D66 party, is in line for the top job after a strong performance in Wednesday’s election, according to Reuters. He successfully shifted his public image from a “nagging climate minister” to a politician with an optimistic, “yes, we can” message.
He changed the conversation.
Jetten’s win came from polished messaging and a significant increase in advertising spending. He moved beyond D66’s traditional focus on climate and education, tackling the divisive issues of immigration and housing. The approach successfully pulled in some voters who previously leaned right. He directly accused far-right leader Geert Wilders of “hijacking” Dutch identity. Jetten argued that Wilders only pretended to care about women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights as a way to cast Muslims in a poor light.
So, about his personal life.
While he would be the first, Jetten’s sexuality was not a major focus during the campaign. The Netherlands is known for its strong protections of LGBTQIA+ rights. His D66 party was in power when the country became the first to legalise same-sex marriage 25 years ago.
A social media trend in 2021, a “bromance” with another politician that went viral on TikTok, had an unexpected outcome. It led Jetten to meet his current fiancé, Argentinian international hockey player Nicolas Keenan. Jetten says they met at a supermarket when Keenan recognised him from the TikTok compilations. The couple is set to marry next August.
Uniting the country.
Kajsa Ollongren, a D66 member and defence minister, praised Jetten’s abilities. “Rob is without a doubt one of the most talented politicians the Netherlands has ever had,” Ollongren said. “I’m sure… he’ll want to unite the country and turn around the negative spiral that Wilders has pushed the country in.”
The Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay prime minister and his Argentinian hockey player, Nicolás Keenan. https://t.co/NmZmsXuxl4 pic.twitter.com/LCGnhyuf4S
— Homo Against Queer Theory (@Homonotqueer) October 30, 2025
To address the housing shortage, Jetten has proposed building ten new towns. He also wants to cut red tape to allow 100,000 new homes each year. On immigration, he suggests processing asylum applications outside the EU. Jetten stated government policy would aim to ensure “people that really are fleeing from war and violence are received in a decent way… and that the rotten apples are pulled out of the system and are deported.”
