Crystal Dike
Centrist leader Rob Jetten has won the Dutch general election, marking a historic political breakthrough that will make him the Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay prime minister.
With nearly all votes counted by early Thursday morning, Jetten’s Democrats 66 (D66) party secured 26 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives — a dramatic rebound from just nine seats in 2023. His main rival, far-right leader Geert Wilders of the Party for Freedom (PVV), also won 26 seats, but D66 led slightly in the popular vote, giving Jetten a clear mandate to begin coalition talks.
The result represents a sharp decline for Wilders, whose party had 37 seats in the previous parliament. With other major parties refusing to enter a coalition with the PVV, Jetten now stands poised to form the next government.
In a jubilant speech at The Hague shortly after midnight, Jetten hailed the outcome as “a vote for optimism, progress, and unity.”
> “It’s time to move beyond politics of division and build a country that works for everyone,” he told cheering supporters.
Jetten’s campaign focused on tackling the Netherlands’ acute housing shortage — estimated at more than 400,000 homes — along with revitalizing education and pursuing a balanced approach to immigration. His upbeat slogan, “Het kan wel” (“Yes, we can”), resonated strongly with voters, in sharp contrast to Wilders’ hardline anti-Islam and anti-immigration rhetoric.
The 38-year-old leader’s rise has been remarkable. A former climate minister under outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, now NATO Secretary-General, Jetten rebuilt his image after a poor 2023 campaign that earned him the derisive nickname “Robot Jetten.” Over the past year, he has become a confident and media-savvy communicator who dominated debates and attracted younger voters.
Jetten’s next task will be to form a viable coalition, requiring at least 76 seats for a parliamentary majority. Potential partners include the VVD, Christian Democrats (CDA), and the Green-Labour alliance (GL/PvdA).
If coalition negotiations succeed, Rob Jetten will formally succeed Mark Rutte — becoming not only the youngest prime minister in Dutch history, but also a global symbol of liberal progress and inclusivity in European politics.