Rob Jetten made history last week when he was sworn in as the Netherlands' prime minister, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the office at age 38 and the first openly gay leader. The ceremony took place on February 23 at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, where King Willem-Alexander administered the oath to Jetten and his 18 ministers in the presence of dignitaries.

Jetten, leader of the Democrats' 66 (D66) party since August 2023, leads a minority coalition government with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA). The three parties hold 66 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. This cabinet succeeds the short-lived administration of Dick Schoof, which collapsed in June 2025 after far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders withdrew support amid disputes over asylum policy.

The path to Jetten's premiership followed the October 29, 2025, general election, where D66 secured 26 seats, its best result ever, tying with the PVV as the largest party. After 117 days of negotiations, the parties agreed on a coalition document titled "Getting to Work!" outlining priorities such as business-friendly tax measures, a "freedom contribution" to boost military spending beyond 2% of GDP, reductions in social benefits like unemployment aid from 24 to 12 months, new housing construction, and development of nuclear power plants.

Born on March 25, 1987, in Veghel, Jetten studied public administration at Radboud University and entered politics as a D66 policy advisor and municipal councilor in Nijmegen. Elected to parliament in 2017, he became the party's youngest parliamentary leader in 2018 and later served as Minister for Climate and Energy Policy and First Deputy Prime Minister in the fourth Rutte cabinet. His tenure included initiatives like a 750 million euro investment in a national hydrogen network.

Jetten is openly gay and engaged to Argentine field hockey player Nicolás Keenan since November 2024. Ahead of the swearing-in, he posted 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." Afterward, he shared an official photo on Instagram with the caption: "Let's get to work."

The minority status poses immediate challenges, as the government must secure opposition support for legislation on defense hikes, healthcare cuts, and stricter asylum rules requiring applications outside Europe. Geert Wilders vowed opposition to Jetten's initiatives, while GreenLeft-Labour leader Jesse Klaver criticized the budget plans as unfair to ordinary people. In his first parliamentary debate this week, Jetten garnered enough support to proceed, signaling cautious stability.

The new cabinet emphasizes security, continued aid to Ukraine, and economic resilience amid geopolitical tensions, including Russia's invasion and uncertainties following the U.S. presidential transition.