Rob Jetten to be sworn in as Netherlands prime minister
The Netherlands is set to inaugurate a new government on Monday, with centrist leader Rob Jetten poised to become the country’s youngest prime minister at 38 and its first openly gay head of government.
Jetten, leader of the D66 party, secured a narrow but decisive victory in October’s snap election, overtaking Geert Wilders and his far-right Freedom Party, known as the PVV. The election was triggered after the PVV withdrew from the previous coalition, which had been the most right-leaning administration in Dutch history and collapsed after less than a year in office.
Following 117 days of negotiations, D66 reached a coalition agreement with the centre-right Christian Democratic Appeal, CDA, and the liberal VVD. The alliance controls 66 seats in parliament, falling nine short of an outright majority, meaning it will depend on support from opposition lawmakers to pass key legislation. Despite the lack of a majority, coalition talks were significantly shorter than the 223 days required to form the previous government.
After his electoral win, Jetten argued that populist forces could be defeated through a constructive campaign focused on national optimism. During the campaign, he pledged to restore the Netherlands to a leading role within the European Union, stressing that close European cooperation was essential for the country’s future.
In a joint manifesto released in January, the coalition partners committed to maintaining strong backing for Ukraine and honoring the Netherlands’ NATO defence spending targets. The new administration plans to increase investment in the military, partly funded through reductions in social spending, including unemployment benefits.
Although the coalition shifts away from the hard-right tone of its predecessor, analysts note that it retains elements of conservative policy. Sarah de Lange, a political science professor at Leiden University, said there is significant continuity in immigration policy, including plans to tighten family reunification rules and pursue stricter migration controls. She also pointed out that the coalition has opted for budget cuts instead of deficit financing to fund new initiatives.
Because the government lacks a parliamentary majority, observers expect that passing major reforms could take longer than usual, as agreements with opposition parties will be required.
Jetten and his ministers will be formally sworn in by King Willem-Alexander at the Huis Ten Bosch palace in The Hague. Initial efforts to include the left-leaning GroenLinks and Labour alliance in a broader coalition were unsuccessful after opposition from VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz.
Wilders, who had shaken European politics with a surprise electoral breakthrough in 2023, saw his support decline sharply in the latest vote. The PVV dropped from 37 seats to 26 and finished second. Coalition parties had already ruled out governing with him, leaving the far-right leader outside the new administration.
Other nationalist parties have nevertheless gained ground. The Forum for Democracy increased its representation by four seats in the 2025 election on a platform opposing immigration and criticizing the European Union. JA21, another hard-right party, won eight seats and came close to entering government before being excluded from coalition negotiations.
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