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(CN) — Holland has found a new political face in Rob Jetten, the telegenic and openly gay leader of Democrats 66 — a center-left force in Dutch politics since 1966, the year the party was founded.
Jetten emerged as the clear favorite to lead the country’s next coalition government following snap elections on Wednesday.
His green vision of putting Holland on the path toward large-scale national planning projects, including the creation of 10 new cities, caught the country’s attention.
Jetten served as climate and energy minister under the last Mark Rutte government.
The hope is that Wednesday’s vote for Jetten will end an unusually rocky and leaderless period since Rutte’s departure from Dutch politics.
As a financial powerhouse and one of the European Union’s nine founding members, the Netherlands is a key player in wider EU politics.
Jetten beat out centrist rivals, and gave his D66 its biggest win ever. He was widely expected to form the country’s next coalition government and become prime minister.
D66 is supported mostly by urban voters on the liberal left. His win was a surprise.
Jetten ran on a message of hope, going so far as adopting former U.S. President Barack Obama’s slogan “Yes, we can” — or “Het kan wel” in Dutch.
Once derided as “Robot Jetten” for his mechanical delivery, he has since remade himself. In debates, Jetten stood out for his calm precision and forward-looking tone, emphasizing climate investment, housing, and economic fairness.
That message resonated in a political landscape weary of cynicism and polarization.
Many Dutch, according to news reports, were relieved by Jetten’s win. The mood was hopeful in Brussels and other European capitals too.
A self-described “politics nerd” from the small Brabant town of Uden, Jetten came out as gay at a young age and rose through the D66 ranks.
He surged in the closing stretch of the campaign.
Engaging and charismatic, Jetten seems fit for Dutch politics.
Historically, the Dutch parliament — the Binnenhof in The Hague — has been built around consensus where governments are formed through coalitions.
The snap elections were called after the collapse of a short-lived right-wing government led by Geert Wilders, a 62-year-old far-right leader who shocked the political establishment by winning the last elections in 2023.
By Thursday night, the actual winner of Wednesday’s ballot remained uncertain with Jetten and Wilder tied.
Dutch officials said it could take days to determine the winner. The difference was so small mail-in overseas ballots may be decisive, officials said.
Both D66 and Wilders’ Party for Freedom are set to obtain 26 seats in the 150-seat parliament.
The vote for Wilders was substantial, but his Party for Freedom was destined to lose numerous seats and return to the opposition.
“The biggest D66 result ever and we celebrated that,” Jetten wrote Thursday on X after the results came in.
“We’re waiting in suspense for the definitive result, but one thing we know for sure: We want to continue our positive mission and bring out the best in each other for all Dutch people,” he said.
Courthouse News reporter Cain Burdeau is based in the European Union.
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