Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Leader of D66 (Democrats 66) Rob Jetten delivers remarks to journalists at the D66 (Democrats 66) faction room at the Lower House, the day after the Dutch parliamentary election vote, in The Hague, on October 30, 2025. The Dutch far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) is running neck-and-neck with a pro-European centrist party Democrats66 (D66) in a nailbiting election, according to an estimate on October 30, 2025 with more than 90 percent of votes counted. Photo by Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP

Article (news)

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1772070790436AFP__20251030__82HA4ZE__v3__HighRes__NetherlandsPoliticsVote_cropped_processed_by_imagy.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Leader of D66 (Democrats 66) Rob Jetten delivers remarks to journalists at the D66 (Democrats 66) faction room at the Lower House, the day after the Dutch parliamentary election vote, in The Hague, on October 30, 2025. The Dutch far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) is running neck-and-neck with a pro-European centrist party Democrats66 (D66) in a nailbiting election, according to an estimate on October 30, 2025 with more than 90 percent of votes counted. Photo by Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Rob Jetten won over the Dutch electorate with promises of optimism and progress, but he will have his work cut out translating words into actions leading a minority government.</p><p>The 38-year-old&#x27;s self-professed &quot;positive message&quot; and youthful energy helped pull off a stunning win over the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) in last year&#x27;s election.</p><p>Having campaigned on the slogan &quot;Het kan wel&quot; (&quot;Yes, it&#x27;s possible&quot;, Jetten is keen to appear &quot;decisive and effective&quot;, according to Sarah de Lange, a professor of politics at Leiden University.</p><p>&quot;After two governments that have been short-lived and have not been able to implement any substantial reforms, this government stresses that it wants to act,&quot; she told AFP.</p><p>However, with only 66 seats in the 150-seat parliament, Jetten&#x27;s coalition with the centre-right CDA party and the liberal VVD is likely to find itself hamstrung when passing legislation.</p><p>Jetten, who will be the Netherlands&#x27; youngest prime minister and its first openly gay one, has had a head-spinning rise up the political hierarchy.</p><p>Entering parliament at the tender age of 30, he became leader of the D66 just a year later, the youngest ever to hold the post.</p><p>His carefully rehearsed lines and bookish glasses earned him the unwelcome nickname of &quot;Robot Jetten&quot; in his early career.</p><p>But he shed the glasses after laser eye surgery and adopted a less earnest demeanor that saw him impress in his ubiquitous media appearances during the election campaign.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>KEEN ATHLETE </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>&quot;The best advice I got then was to tell your story as if you were sitting around the table with your mates,&quot; he said, referring to the early years.</p><p>He has also vamped up his Tiktok presence, posting lively behind‑the‑scenes glimpses into political life with a spring in his step.</p><p>The son of two teachers, Jetten grew up in Uden, in the southeast of the country.</p><p>&quot;A geek. That is really what I was at age 12,&quot; he admits.</p><p>He studied public administration at Radboud University in Nijmegen, which he selected on &quot;late chooser&#x27;s day&quot;.</p><p>&quot;I wanted to make the world a slightly better place,&quot; he later told the university website.</p><p>A talented junior athlete, Jetten once ran as a pace-setter for future Olympic champion Sifan Hassan.</p><p>&quot;As a child and teenager, I was a keen games player. Football and athletics were my greatest passions,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;But as I grew up and started discovering my identity, it was quite difficult not to identify with top-level gay athletes.&quot;</p><p>Jetten has been in a relationship with Nicolas Keenan, an international hockey player for Argentina, since 2022. The couple plan to marry this year in Spain.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;MOST BEAUTIFUL JOB&#x27; </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>He has deliberately worked to reclaim the Dutch flag from far‑right symbolism and angry farmers by presenting it as a source of inclusive, progressive pride.</p><p>Jetten has also made investment in education a central pillar of his political agenda, repeatedly stressing that D66 will not support any cuts to education funding.</p><p>From early on in the election campaign, Jetten ruled out a coalition with far-right leader Geert Wilders, calling him &quot;the biggest bully in the playground&quot;.</p><p>&quot;As a democrat, I don&#x27;t see how I could go into coalition with him,&quot; he said.</p><p>It could all have been so different for the young runner, who represented the Netherlands at junior level.</p><p>&quot;After a career in top-level sports, I wanted to go into the catering industry. It runs in my family,&quot; he told his university website.</p><p>&quot;Ideally, I wanted to have my own restaurant, on a beach in a warm country. But it all turned out differently.</p><p>&quot;Not that I regret it: I now have the most beautiful job in the Netherlands,&quot; he said in the interview published three years ago.</p><p>But as Jetten steps into the next phase of his political rise, his trademark optimism may face its toughest test yet. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>.</p>

<p>Rob Jetten will be the Netherlands' youngest prime minister and its first openly gay one.</p>

Rob Jetten will be the Netherlands' youngest prime minister and its first openly gay one.

Who is Rob Jetten, Netherlands' youngest and first openly gay Prime Minister?

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

World

Who is Rob Jetten, Netherlands' youngest and first openly gay Prime Minister?

Charlotte Van Ouwerkerk and Femke Colborne,

Agence France-Presse

Published February 26, 2026 09:55 AM PHT

Read More:

The Hague

Netherlands

Politics

Jetten

Agence France-Presse

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.