Meet the man poised to be the Netherlands’ first out gay Prime Minister & his Olympian fiancé
A gay, liberal politician replacing a far-right populist leader? Yes, it can happen!
Mark
Rob Jetten, a gay politician in the Netherlands, is on the cusp of making history. The country went to the polls yesterday, and Jetten, 38, is tipped to become the new Prime Minister.
If so, he would be the first out politician elected to lead the Netherlands — and the youngest.
For many, Jetten’s predicted win will be all the sweeter because he will replace the far-right, populist Geert Wilders (Freedom Party).
It’s also all the more remarkable as when Jetten became leader of the D66 party two years ago, it was lagging fifth in the polls. Under his charismatic and youthful leadership, its popularity has grown rapidly.
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Dutch politics
Unlike the US, the Netherlands’ political system is not dominated by two parties. That makes its elections more complicated, and the resulting governments are often coalitions.
With 98% of votes counted, both the D66 and Freedom parties are heading to earn 26 seats each in the 150-seat Parliament. However, exit polls indicate D66 earned slightly more votes. If so, they will have the first opportunity to form a new coalition government, and Jetter will become Prime Minister.
Wilders has already conceded his party’s result is disappointing, having lost 11 seats. He is still holding out hope that his party might win more votes and says that if it does, he deserves the right to have first go at forming the next coalition government.
However, when Wilders won in November 2023, it took him seven months to reach a deal with other parties to form a government. That deal collapsed 11 months later as other lawmakers said they no longer wished to work with him. No one wants a repeat of that debacle. Most political commentators believe Jetter now has the better chance of becoming PM.
Jetter ran on a platform to build hundreds of thousands more homes, and funding schemes to help immigrants integrate within the country. He also spoke out against Wilders’ more extreme, right-wing views.
Argentinian fiancé Nicolás
Part of Jetter’s popularity lies in his appeal to younger voters. His “bromance” with another Dutch politician went viral on TikTok in 2021.
One of those who saw the TikTok videos was Argentinian international hockey player Nicolás Keenan.
Keenan subsequently recognized Jetter when he ran into him in a supermarket. Sparks flew between the men.
They became engaged last year and are set to marry next August.
Although Jetter’s Instagram is more concerned with his campaigning, Keenan, who competed at the Paris Olympics last year, often shares photos of the couple’s life together. This involves attending some glitzy formal occasions. Check out the video below.
And chilling together on vacation.
At the time of writing, Jetter had yet to claim outright victory. However, in a statement on Instagram, he said, “The positive forces have won! I want to get to work for all the Dutch, because this is the land of all of us!”
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