Meet Rob Jetten: Youngest, First Openly Gay Politician Eyeing Dutch PM Seat

Meet Rob Jetten: Youngest, First Openly Gay Politician Eyeing Dutch PM Seat

Rob Jetten, the leader of the Dutch centrist D66 party, is set to make history in the Netherlands. At 38, he will be the youngest and first openly gay prime minister of the country after his party’s major gains in the October 29 election.

“I am incredibly happy that we have become the biggest party in this election,” Jetten told reporters. “A historic result for the D66. At the same time, I feel a great responsibility.”

Although it was a neck-and-neck race, Jetten claimed victory over anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders. The latter campaigned on anti-immigration policies and had also called for a ban on the Quran, per a report by People. His voters sharply declined compared to last year, according to AFP.

However, the official result will be confirmed on Monday, 3 November after mail-in ballots from citizens living outside the country are also factored in.

In less than two years, Jetten drove his party from the fifth place to the top in Dutch politics. He borrowed from former President Barack Obama’s phrase, “Yes, we can” and conveyed a positive message with the slogan “Het kan wel”. He accused Wilders of “sowing division”.

He said, “I think we’ve now shown to the rest of Europe and the world that it is possible to beat the populist movements if you campaign with a positive message for your country.”

“We have run a very positive campaign because we want to get rid of all the negativism in the Netherlands over the past few years,” he told AFP.

“I want to bring the Netherlands back to the heart of Europe because without European cooperation, we are nowhere,” he added.

Rob Jetten’s Personal Life

Jetten grew up in Uden, a town in the southeast part of the country. He studied public administration at Radboud University in Nijmegen. As a child and teenager, he loved football and athletics. His parents were both teachers.

“I wanted to make the world a slightly better place,” he told the university website.

After wanting a job in top-level sports, he wanted to go into the catering industry. “Ideally, I wanted to have my own restaurant, on a beach in a warm country. But it all turned out differently.” He added, “Not that I regret it: I now have the most beautiful job in the Netherlands,” he said in the interview.

Jetten is engaged to Argentine hockey player Nicolas Keenan and will marry him next year in Spain.