A new government has officially taken office in the Netherlands, with 38-year-old centrist leader Rob Jetten sworn in as the country’s youngest-ever prime minister — and its first openly gay head of government.
Jetten secured a surprise victory in the October general election, narrowly defeating the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) led by outspoken populist Geert Wilders.
The snap poll was triggered after the PVV withdrew from the Netherlands’ previous coalition — the most right-wing government in the country’s recent history — which collapsed after just 11 months in power.
Jetten’s party, Democrats 66 (D66), has formed a coalition with the centre-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Together, the three parties control 66 seats in parliament — nine short of a majority — meaning the government will need support from opposition lawmakers to pass key legislation.
Coalition negotiations lasted 117 days, significantly shorter than the 223 days required to form the previous administration.
Following his election win, Jetten argued that populist movements can be defeated “if you campaign with a positive message for your country.” On the campaign trail, he emphasized restoring the Netherlands to “the heart of Europe,” stressing that European cooperation remains vital to the nation’s prosperity and security.
In a joint manifesto published in January, the coalition pledged continued support for Ukraine and reaffirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to meeting its NATO defence spending targets.
While the new administration is less overtly right-wing than its predecessor, political analyst Sarah de Lange of Leiden University noted that it still carries a “right-wing signature.” She pointed to plans for budget cuts rather than deficit spending to fund investments, as well as significant continuity in immigration policy.
The coalition has vowed to tighten migration rules, including stricter family reunification requirements, and to scale back certain social benefits, including unemployment payments, in order to finance increased defence spending.
However, with no outright parliamentary majority, the government’s reform agenda may face delays. “Passing major legislation could take longer than usual,” De Lange observed, given the need for cross-party backing.
Jetten and his cabinet were formally sworn in by Willem-Alexander at the Huis Ten Bosch in The Hague.
Although Jetten initially explored forming a broader coalition that included the left-leaning GroenLinks–PvdA alliance, the proposal was firmly opposed by VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz.
Wilders, who stunned Europe with his 2023 electoral breakthrough, saw his party’s support decline sharply. The PVV fell from 37 seats in 2023 to 26 seats in the latest election following what observers described as an underwhelming campaign.
Although it finished second, coalition parties had ruled out governing alongside Wilders, leaving him excluded from power.
Meanwhile, other right-wing factions made gains. The Forum for Democracy, led by 28-year-old Lidewij de Vos, secured four additional seats on an anti-immigration and Eurosceptic platform, while the hard-right JA21 gained eight seats and came close to joining the governing coalition before being blocked by Jetten.
The formation of the new government marks a significant political shift in the Netherlands — one balancing centrist leadership with firm policy positions on migration, fiscal discipline, and defence, amid a still-fractured and evolving political landscape.
