Rob Jetten sworn in as Netherlands’ first openly gay prime minister

Rob Jetten was sworn in on Feb. 23 as the Netherlands’ first openly gay prime minister, marking a historic milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in European politics.

Jetten’s centrist D66 party narrowly defeated far-right leader Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom in the October elections. King Willem-Alexander formally installed Jetten as prime minister on Monday, making him not only the country’s first openly gay leader, but also its youngest-ever head of government, Washington Blade reports. According to the Associated Press, his coalition includes the center-right Christian Democrats and the center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

“Proud to be able to do this together,” Jetten wrote in a post on X shortly before the swearing-in ceremony.

COC Nederland, a prominent Dutch LGBTQ advocacy organization, hailed Jetten’s appointment as a powerful signal of inclusion. The group said that Jetten “becoming prime minister shows that your sexual orientation doesn’t have to matter,” adding, “You can become a construction worker, a doctor, a lawyer, and even prime minister.”

COC Nederland also underscored Jetten’s commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ equality through his government’s “Rainbow Agreement.” The plan includes strengthening nondiscrimination protections “to better protect transgender and intersex people,” increasing the number of “discrimination investigators … to address violence against LGBTQ+ people and other minorities,” and rolling out new initiatives “to promote acceptance in schools.”

“COC will hold the Cabinet to that promise,” the organization stated.

Jetten is engaged to Nicolás Keenen, an Argentine field hockey player who competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

On the global stage, Jetten is now one of only two openly gay heads of government currently in office, alongside Andorran Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora, who came out in 2023. Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkēvičs, the country’s head of state, is also openly gay and assumed office in 2023.

Other openly LGBTQ+ leaders in recent years have included former Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, former Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, former Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, and former Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, who became the world’s first openly lesbian head of government in 2009. Former Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, former San Marino Captain Regent Paolo Rondelli, and former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal have likewise contributed to growing global visibility for LGBTQ+ politicians.

In Latin America, Colombian presidential candidate Claudia López—an out lesbian and former mayor of Bogotá—could become the country’s first female and first openly lesbian president if she prevails in the presidential election scheduled for later this year.