Rob Jetten takes oath; becomes Netherlands' youngest, first openly gay PM
Jetten pulled a stunning election win, to replace the far-right Freedom Party with a thin margin in Netherlands.
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A new Dutch government took power on Monday, with the youngest ever Prime Minister and openly gay centrist Rob Jetten swearing in.
The 38-year old Jetten pulled a stunning election win, to replace the far-right Freedom Party with a thin margin. Jetten's D66 has teamed up with the centre-right CDA party and the liberal VVD to form a coalition, but will fall nine seats short of a parliamentary majority, AFP reported.
Jetten is Netherland's first openly gay and youngest ever Prime Minister. Soon after swearing in, Jetten, in an X post, said it is “an enormous honour to be able to get to work as prime minister.”
LGBTQIA organisation welcomes appointment
The Netherlands' main LGBTQI organisation, COC, welcomed Jetten's appointment. In a statement, the organisation said that the new premier can be a role model "for people from the rainbow community,”
“It shows that your sexual orientation doesn’t have to matter. That you can become a construction worker, a doctor, a lawyer, and even a prime minister,” AFP report quoted the statement.
Dutch national politics veteran who rose to power
A veteran of Dutch national politics, Jetten rose to the top of the political ladder nearly a decade after he won his first parliamentary seat in 2017 for the centrist, pro-European D66 party he now leads.
{{/usCountry}}A veteran of Dutch national politics, Jetten rose to the top of the political ladder nearly a decade after he won his first parliamentary seat in 2017 for the centrist, pro-European D66 party he now leads.
{{/usCountry}}Born in southestern town of Uden, Jetten studied business administration and initially worked at a government-owned railway infrastructure company.
{{/usCountry}}Born in southestern town of Uden, Jetten studied business administration and initially worked at a government-owned railway infrastructure company.
{{/usCountry}}He is open about his life on social media and posts photos of himself and his partner, Nicolas Keenan, an Argentine field hockey star who won a bronze medal with his country's team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Promised to finance defence
{{/usCountry}}He is open about his life on social media and posts photos of himself and his partner, Nicolas Keenan, an Argentine field hockey star who won a bronze medal with his country's team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Promised to finance defence
{{/usCountry}}In his campaign, Jetten had promised to cut social benefits, including unemployment benefits, to help finance proposed investments in the military and defence.
{{/usCountry}}In his campaign, Jetten had promised to cut social benefits, including unemployment benefits, to help finance proposed investments in the military and defence.
{{/usCountry}}However, since the coalition parties together hold only 66 of the lower house of parliament's 150 seats, Jetten will have to negotiate with opposition lawmakers to find support for every policy.
{{/usCountry}}However, since the coalition parties together hold only 66 of the lower house of parliament's 150 seats, Jetten will have to negotiate with opposition lawmakers to find support for every policy.
{{/usCountry}}