Rob Jetten's achievement in dragging his socially liberal D66 party from fifth place to the top of Dutch politics in less than two years has been extraordinary. But politically, all the stars were perfectly aligned for the 38-year-old to do so.
The result of Wednesday's election is too close to call, with Jetten vying with anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders for the most seats in parliament. No other political leader commanded as much screen time during the campaign as Jetten, and his smile and cheerful message resonated with voters, while his rivals sometimes struggled.
Hardly a night went by without him on TV. When Wilders cancelled an appearance because of security fears, Rob Jetten seized the moment and took his place. He even featured in a TV quiz show recorded months ago called The Smartest Person. And his D66 party was untarnished by involvement in Wilders' ill-fated 11-month coalition, largely because Jetten had fared so poorly in the last election in 2023. The government collapsed last June when Wilders' party quit following a row over migration.
But perhaps more than anything else, he was able to convey a positive message summed up by the slogan Het kan wel - an optimistic phrase that borrows from Barack Obama's Yes, we can. It contrasted strongly with Wilders, who he accused of sowing division. If his party does come top, Rob Jetten could become the Netherlands' first openly gay prime minister.
A self-confessed politics nerd as a child, the young Jetten came out when he was young. He has not made his private life part of his political identity, but five years ago he posted a video in which he read out a long list of homophobic messages from his phone, to prove why an international day against homophobia was important. Jetten is now engaged to Argentine hockey player, Nicolás Keenan, and they are due to marry next year.
He was an early supporter of the centrist D66, which describes itself as a progressive and socially liberal party, and officials soon spotted his potential. After a few years working for Dutch rail network ProRail, Jetten was elected as an MP in 2017 and had a couple of early experiences as leader before serving under long-serving prime minister Mark Rutte as climate minister. However, not everything has worked out smoothly in Jetten's career.
Supporters see him as a kind of mini-Mark Rutte, head of NATO. Both men always appear cheerful and pragmatic and are notorious for getting by on little sleep. However, party colleague Roy Kramer noticed a difference: Rutte is a chatterbox, Jetten is a bit quieter. The liberal leader has big ambitions, notably tackling the Netherlands' housing crisis, with a shortage of about 400,000 homes. Jetten wants to build 10 cities and has criticized Dutch governments for not achieving anything significant for the past 10 to 15 years, making big promises that he will come under pressure to deliver.
The result of Wednesday's election is too close to call, with Jetten vying with anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders for the most seats in parliament. No other political leader commanded as much screen time during the campaign as Jetten, and his smile and cheerful message resonated with voters, while his rivals sometimes struggled.
Hardly a night went by without him on TV. When Wilders cancelled an appearance because of security fears, Rob Jetten seized the moment and took his place. He even featured in a TV quiz show recorded months ago called The Smartest Person. And his D66 party was untarnished by involvement in Wilders' ill-fated 11-month coalition, largely because Jetten had fared so poorly in the last election in 2023. The government collapsed last June when Wilders' party quit following a row over migration.
But perhaps more than anything else, he was able to convey a positive message summed up by the slogan Het kan wel - an optimistic phrase that borrows from Barack Obama's Yes, we can. It contrasted strongly with Wilders, who he accused of sowing division. If his party does come top, Rob Jetten could become the Netherlands' first openly gay prime minister.
A self-confessed politics nerd as a child, the young Jetten came out when he was young. He has not made his private life part of his political identity, but five years ago he posted a video in which he read out a long list of homophobic messages from his phone, to prove why an international day against homophobia was important. Jetten is now engaged to Argentine hockey player, Nicolás Keenan, and they are due to marry next year.
He was an early supporter of the centrist D66, which describes itself as a progressive and socially liberal party, and officials soon spotted his potential. After a few years working for Dutch rail network ProRail, Jetten was elected as an MP in 2017 and had a couple of early experiences as leader before serving under long-serving prime minister Mark Rutte as climate minister. However, not everything has worked out smoothly in Jetten's career.
Supporters see him as a kind of mini-Mark Rutte, head of NATO. Both men always appear cheerful and pragmatic and are notorious for getting by on little sleep. However, party colleague Roy Kramer noticed a difference: Rutte is a chatterbox, Jetten is a bit quieter. The liberal leader has big ambitions, notably tackling the Netherlands' housing crisis, with a shortage of about 400,000 homes. Jetten wants to build 10 cities and has criticized Dutch governments for not achieving anything significant for the past 10 to 15 years, making big promises that he will come under pressure to deliver.
