Meet Rob Jetten, who is likely to become the youngest PM of the Netherlands

With Jetten helping D66 record the biggest victory in its nearly six-decade history, here is a look at the leader and how he made this happen.

A management trainee turned politician

Born in 19878, Jetten grew up in a small town in the southern province of Brabant. He went on to obtain a BA and an MA — both in public administration — and subsequently, worked for the Dutch rail network ProRail as a management trainee.

In 2017, he was elected as an MP and became D66’s spokesperson for climate, energy and gas, railways, democratic renewal and economic affairs. That’s why it did not come as a surprise when Jetten was appointed as Minister for Climate and Energy Policy in 2022 after the D66 formed a coalition government with the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and others.

The next year, Jetten became the Leader of D66, the highest position in the party. However, his leadership faced a rocky start as in the 2023 general elections, the party could win just nine seats.

“Jetten was not yet as fluent in front of the cameras. Some media appearances he gave were criticised as dull, and one critic labelled him “Robot Jetten””, according to a BBC report.

‘Yes, we can’

Jetten soon turned things around, especially after the government collapsed in June 2024 when the PVV quit following a row over migration. He ran a campaign inspired by former US President Barack Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ slogan and came up with the slogan “Het kan wel” (“It is possible”).

The leader became a regular fixture on television in the run-up to the 2025 elections. He even featured in a TV quiz show recorded months ago called The Smartest Person.

Experts believe that Jetten’s campaign was able to capture voters’ imagination as it conveyed a positive message. He “campaigned hard for a return to “progressive” politics, focusing on green energy to keep energy costs down, building cities to tackle the housing crisis and easing the strain on the healthcare system by prioritising illness prevention. On the subject of housing, the centrist politician said he wanted to build 10 new towns, and that cutting red tape would allow 100,000 new homes a year to be completed,” according to a report by EuroNews.

However, it remains to be seen how Jetten can build a coalition and attain at least 76 seats in the parliament to form the government.