Rob Jetten sworn in as Netherlands’ youngest, first openly gay prime minister
Democrats 66 party (D66) leader Rob Jetten was sworn in as Netherlands’ youngest-ever and first openly-gay prime minister on Monday, February 23, 2026.
The 38-year-old was formally sworn in by King Willem-Alexander at the Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague.
This follows months of tense negotiations among political parties to form a coalition, as no political party managed to secure a two-thirds majority in the October elections.
D66 narrowly defeated anti-Islam activist Geert Wilders in a closely contested election.
The minority government was formed after finalisation of a coalition between D66, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
As it is a minority cabinet, every major reform will have to be negotiated vote by vote in the Netherlands’ two parliamentary chambers.
Jetten’s rise to the head of the government in the Netherlands marks a new chapter in Dutch politics. Despite the country legalising same-sex marriage in 2001, no openly gay leader has ever led the government.
Jetten entered parliament in 2017 and quickly rose to the D66’s party leader position in 2018. He later served as the Netherlands’ climate and energy minister and led the country’s transition toward renewable energy.
