The Netherlands welcomes its first openly gay prime minister.

On the morning of February 23, 2026, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands presided over the swearing-in ceremony at the palace on the edge of the Hague Forest. Rob Jetten, aged 38, officially became the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He thereby set three records: the youngest Prime Minister in Dutch history, the first Prime Minister from the Democrats 66 (D66) party, and the country's first openly gay national leader.

After the ceremony, the new cabinet members took the traditional group photo on the palace steps before returning to The Hague to begin their work. Jetten is not leading a strong government but a fragile minority coalition—the three parties hold only 66 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives. This means that every bill he proposes after taking office will require difficult negotiations with the opposition parties.

That day, LGBTQ+ organizations in the Netherlands hung rainbow flags on the streets of Amsterdam and Utrecht to celebrate this symbolic victory. Meanwhile, criticism from religious conservative groups and far-right political forces was also gathering momentum simultaneously.

The Dilemma of Minority Rule.

From a numerical perspective, the governing foundation of the Rutte government is quite fragile. In the early general election on October 29 last year, his center-left D66 party, together with the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, formed a ruling coalition that secured only 66 seats, falling short of the 76 seats required for a majority by 10 seats.

This election itself is a product of the collapse of the previous government. After winning the previous election, far-right politician Geert Wilders' Freedom Party withdrew its party ministers from the four-party right-wing coalition government he led in June last year, causing the government led by Dick Schoof to last only 11 months before ending, becoming one of the shortest-lived governments in Dutch political history.

A minority government means that Yeten's legislative agenda will face significant hurdles. The largest opposition—the newly merged Green-Left Party and Labor Party alliance—has explicitly opposed Yeten's plans to cut healthcare and welfare costs. Opposition leader Jes Klaver stated bluntly on social platform X that the new government's plan would result in ordinary citizens paying hundreds of euros more, while the wealthiest class would not need to make any additional contributions.

This opposition had already shown signs during the alliance agreement debate in early February. Jetten himself admitted that the debate process was sometimes very intense. He had to seek temporary allies for each piece of legislation, and this vision of returning to consensus politics faces a severe test in the highly divided Dutch parliament.

The allocation of cabinet positions reflects a balance within the coalition: Tom Berenson of the Christian Democratic Union, who previously led the party’s group in the European Parliament, serves as Foreign Minister; Finance Minister Elko Hennen retains his role, seen as a steady hand for the treasury; Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, leader of the Liberal Democratic People’s Party and former Justice Minister, moves to the position of Defense Minister; Bart van den Brink of the Christian Democratic Union becomes Minister for Asylum and Migration Policy and is expected to continue the previous government’s policies of controlling immigration and accelerating asylum application processing.

Group Expectations versus Real-World Resistance

For the Dutch LGBTQ+ community, Jetten's inauguration holds special significance. While same-sex marriage has been legal in the Netherlands for over twenty years, the fact that the country's highest executive position is now held by an openly gay individual for the first time is still regarded by activists as a significant step forward in social inclusivity.

A spokesperson for COC Nederland, the main LGBTQ+ rights organization in the Netherlands, stated that Jetten's visibility is crucial at a time when opposition voices are growing increasingly assertive. Details of the prime minister's personal life have been widely covered by the media: his upcoming wedding to Argentine hockey player Nicolás Keenan, which became known to the public during the election campaign through the TV program *The Smartest Person*, has somewhat softened his political image.

However, symbolic significance cannot conceal the practical resistance. Yeten himself is no stranger to homophobic abuse online. On May 17, 2020, the International Day Against Homophobia, he posted a screenshot on social media filled with hateful comments directed at him: cancer homosexual, stupid faggot, filthy sissy. He captioned it by asking if anyone still doubted the necessity of establishing such an international day.

This overt hostility partly stems from deeper divisions within Dutch society. Although the Netherlands is known for its social liberalism, in recent years, debates over traditional values, religious freedom, and LGBTQ+ rights have intensified with changes in immigration demographics and the rise of far-right political forces. Among Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom and its supporters, there is no shortage of open criticism towards the so-called homosexual agenda.

During the campaign, Yeten attempted to reclaim the Dutch flag, which had been occupied by parties like the Liberals, emphasizing that we can do it. However, truly bridging divisions in a country with a fragmented political spectrum and diverse social issues is far more complex than simply changing a flag.

Internal and external policy pressures

The policy agenda of the Yeten government faces dual pressures both internally and externally. Externally, he has clearly expressed his desire to revitalize the Netherlands' influence within the European Union. Last month, he told the Associated Press that one of his top priorities after taking office would be to speak with his European colleagues to explore what role the Netherlands could once again play in strengthening European cooperation.

As one of the founding members of the European Union, the Netherlands has seen a decline in its presence in EU affairs in recent years, and Yeten hopes to change this trend. He also emphasizes the importance of relations with the United States, which is the main trading partner of the Dutch economy. Although Yeten has criticized former U.S. President Trump in the past, he is well aware of the practical benefits of maintaining transatlantic relations. In terms of security policy, he promises to continue supporting Ukraine in resisting the Russian invasion that has lasted for four years.

Internally, economic and social reforms present more pressing challenges. The coalition agreement includes provisions for reducing welfare and healthcare expenditures, which directly impact the daily lives of ordinary citizens. Against the backdrop of inflationary pressures that have not yet fully subsided, austerity measures are highly likely to trigger public discontent.

Jetten's governing style has been compared by observers to that of former Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was known for his Teflon-like quality—criticism seemed to slide right off him. Former D66 leader Sigrid Kaag commented in the newspaper *Volkskrant* that Jetten does not stand in the way of his own ego, a trait considered suitable for leading a minority government that requires compromise from all sides.

However, political skills cannot replace resource allocation. The experience of Espen Barth Eide as the Minister of Climate and Energy Policy in 2021 is quite revealing: he harbored ambitions to improve the climate, but one month after taking office, Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced him to increase electricity generation from coal-fired power plants that he originally intended to phase out. From a climate preacher (a nickname he gladly accepted from opponents and even printed on a sweater) to a pragmatic compromiser, Eide's transformation reflects the tension between ideals and reality.

The test of governance has just begun.

Rob Jetten's term as Prime Minister begins at a historic moment but will navigate the intricate tracks of realpolitik. His inauguration proves that sexual orientation is no longer an inevitable barrier to the highest power. The celebrations along the Amsterdam canals reflect the relief of this progressive force.

However, the day-to-day politics within the Hague Parliament Building will present a different scene. With a seat distribution of 66 versus 84, it implies ongoing negotiations, deals, and compromises. Although the far-right Wilders failed to form a government this time, his party remains a force to be reckoned with in parliament and will continue to exert pressure on issues such as immigration and cultural identity.

The deeper issue is whether Rutte's vision of a new era of consensus can resolve the polarization trend in Dutch society in recent years. From "Robot Rutte" (a nickname he earned early on for repeating rehearsed answers) to a prime minister attempting to unite all sides, his personal political skills have matured. However, governing a minority government requires far more than just personal charisma.

He must balance fiscal austerity with social equity in domestic affairs, reposition the Netherlands' role between the European Union and the United States in foreign policy, while also finding the appropriate connection point between symbolic identity and practical policies. The Dutch LGBTQ+ community welcomes one of their own reaching the pinnacle of power, but ultimately, this prime minister will be remembered in history for the effectiveness of his policies, not his personal identity.

The group photo on the palace steps will soon become a memory, while the lights in The Hague office will remain lit for a long time. The test has only just begun.