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Rob Jetten Sworn In as Netherlands' Youngest and First Openly Gay Prime Minister

The new minority coalition must secure opposition votes to advance its agenda.

Ministers of the new three-party minority government pose with King Willem-Alexander, center right, prime minster Rob Jetten, center left, and deputy prime minister Dilan Yesilgöz, front row right, on the steps of Royal Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
From left, Dutch coalition partners Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Rob Jetten of the centrist D66 and Henri Bontenbal of the right-leaning Christian Democrats speak to reporters as they present a coalition deal in The Hague, Netherlands, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Corder)
Ministers of the new three-party minority government pose with King Willem-Alexander, center right, prime minster Rob Jetten, center left, and deputy prime minister Dilan Yesilgöz, front row right, on the steps of Royal Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Rob Jetten,leader of the Democrats 66, D66, arrives to be sworn in as prime minister by King Willem-Alexander at Royal Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Overview

  • King Willem-Alexander swore in Jetten and his cabinet at Huis Ten Bosch, finalizing a three-party D66–CDA–VVD government 117 days after the snap election.
  • The coalition controls 66 of 150 lower-house seats and lacks a Senate majority, requiring cross-bench support on every bill.
  • Policy priorities include a pro‑EU course, sustained backing for Ukraine, and higher defense outlays to meet NATO commitments, with a reported target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
  • Funding plans feature an income‑tax surcharge dubbed a “freedom tax” and cuts to welfare and healthcare, drawing objections from opposition leaders who warn lower‑income households would be hit hardest.
  • Key portfolios go to Tom Berendsen at foreign affairs, Eelco Heinen at finance, Dilan Yeşilgöz‑Zegerius at defense, and Bart van den Brink for asylum and immigration, with migration tightening set to continue.