Rob Jetten, leader of the centrist-left progressive liberal party D66, is set to become the Netherlands’ next prime minister. At 38, he will be the country’s youngest and first openly gay politician to hold this position. His election follows a competitive contest with far-right leader Geert Wilders, whose Party for Freedom (PVV) had led recent polls. The result positions D66 at the centre of efforts to form a new coalition government in a fragmented political landscape, both domestically and across the continent.
Who is Rob Jetten, and how did he emerge as D66’s young face of reform?
Jetten joined D66 as a student and rose through its youth wing before entering Parliament in 2017. The following year, he became the party’s parliamentary group leader at just 29, and later served as Minister for Climate and Energy under long-serving Prime Minister Mark Rutte. In that role, he pursued an “extremely ambitious policy” anchored by a 35 billion euro climate fund.
He led D66’s 2023 campaign as a traditional backer of European integration and climate policies. However, the party suffered major losses, falling from 24 seats in the previous election to just 9 in 2023. This proved to be a major setback for the party and the promising young leader, and also signalled voter dissatisfaction with the previous coalition governments.
What defined Jetten’s 2025 campaign strategy?
For the 2025 campaign, Jetten broadened the party’s platform beyond its traditional concerns of education and climate change to include key voter issues such as housing and immigration. In the short term, to resolve the housing shortage, he proposed a government contribution of EUR 2 billion annually, with a plan to build ten new towns, and streamlining regulations to enable the construction of 100,000 new homes per year.
On immigration, a defining issue for many voters, Jetten struck a measured but critical tone. He proposed that asylum applications to the Netherlands be submitted from outside the EU to combat illegal immigration and discourage dangerous journeys. He also advocated increased spending on integration programs and closer EU cooperation. “People that really are fleeing from war and violence are received in a decent way, learn the language and can participate (in society),” he said, “and the rotten apples are pulled out of the system and are deported.”
Jetten also emphasised attracting highly skilled migrants to boost investment in biotech, fintech, higher education, and research, while “being tougher on labour migration at the bottom end” in order to keep taking in migrants to work in sectors where there is much more economic potential.”
His campaign further highlighted healthcare reform, particularly illness prevention, medical-ethical issues such as euthanasia and abortion, and improved transgender care. In the energy sector, he called for affordable, home-grown energy solutions.
Who was D66’s main rival from the right?
Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV and one of Europe’s longest-serving populist politicians, is known for his anti-Islam rhetoric and hardline stance on immigration. He campaigned on ending all asylum migration, deporting Ukrainian refugees, and redirecting development aid to domestic energy and healthcare. Despite leading the 2023 polls, his radical positions prevented him from forming a government.
What comes after the win?
With more polished messaging this time around, D66 recorded its strongest performance in years, tripling its parliamentary seats. While Jetten’s election—at a time when much of Europe is experiencing the rise of right-wing populism—is a relief to many, analysts caution that “just because a progressive liberal party defeated a hard-right party doesn’t mean the electorate has shifted significantly to the left,” and “as a progressive in a country leaning toward conservatism, Mr. Jetten will have a hard time forming a government.”
D66 has signalled a willingness to explore a broad coalition including the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), and the GroenLinks-PcdA alliance. On international security and European integration, D66 emphasises deeper EU defence cooperation, continued support for Ukraine, but also prioritises strategic independence, both militarily and economically.
However, with the VVD refusing to work with Greens-Labour, and notable ideological differences between D66 and potential right-leaning partners, it remains to be seen whether the next coalition can overcome political stagnation and play a constructive role in shaping the Netherlands’ future.