At 38 years old, leader of the center-left D66 party overcame the extreme right and now has the mission of forming a coalition government, bringing a progressive and environmental agenda to the country’s command
leader of the social-liberal Democrats 66 (D66) party, is poised to become the youngest prime minister in modern history. At 38, his rise comes after a narrow victory in early parliamentary elections over Geert Wilders’ far-right, marking a significant change in the country’s political landscape, which in recent months has been governed by a right-wing coalition.
From railway management to government
Born in 1987, Rob Jetten grew up in the city of Uden and graduated in Public Administration from Radboud University. Before diving into national politics, he began his career as a consultant at ProRail, the agency that manages the Dutch railway network.
His political career began at the local level, as a member of the Nijmegen municipal council between 2010 and 2017. In 2017, he was elected to the House of Representatives, the Dutch parliament, and just a year later, he became parliamentary leader of D66, the youngest person to hold the position.
Jetten rose to national prominence when he was appointed Minister for Climate and Energy in 2022 under Mark Rutte. During his tenure, he led the largest climate investment package in the country’s history and a plan to end imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States. He temporarily held the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in 2024.
Victory over the far right
The election was brought forward after the collapse of the right-wing government, which was short-lived due to internal disputes, mainly over asylum policy. During the campaign, Jetten adopted a message of optimism and cooperation, using a motto inspired by .
This stance contrasted sharply with the polarizing speech of his main opponent, Geert Wilders, with whom Jetten refused to ally himself. D66’s narrow victory, by a margin of just a few thousand votes, was seen as a brake on the advance of far-right populism in Europe. “We demonstrated to the rest of Europe and the entire world that it is possible to defeat populist movements,” said Jetten after the result.
Challenges and guidelines
Despite the victory, Jetten will face the challenge of forming a stable coalition government in a fragmented parliament. However, his position is more favorable than Wilders’, as most traditional parties have ruled out an alliance with the far right.
Its main agendas include combating the real estate crisis, with the proposal to build 10 new cities, investment in education and a strong environmental and pro-European Union agenda. Jetten, who will be the country’s first openly gay prime minister, is also a civil rights advocate. His leadership signals a return for the Netherlands to a more centrist position and greater integration with Europe.
