Leader of the Democrats 66 (D66) party Rob Jetten. (Robin Utrecht / ANP / AFP / Netherlands OUT/ Getty Images)
The Netherlands is set to get its first openly gay prime minister, Rob Jetten, following strong results in the country’s recent election, which saw his party gain 17 seats, and Geert Wilders’ far-right party lose 11.
Jetten, who is the leader of the Democrats 66 (D66), hasn’t made his sexuality a focus of his campaign, instead emphasising his mission for positive change.
Following his party’s strong performance in the election on Wednesday (29 October), the 38-year-old is set to become the Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay prime minister.
Jetten’s campaign has been successful partly due to a surge in advertising that has pushed a message of “yes, we can”, enabling the party to focus on divisive issues such as immigration and the housing crisis.
As part of the party’s image transformation, Jetten challenged far-right leader Geert Wilders, hitting out at him for only standing up for LGBTQ+ rights in a bid to villainise Muslims.
On election day he took to Instagram to share a positive message for his supporters.
He wrote: “Today we determine the course of our country. Either we keep hanging in grudge and stagnation, or together turn the page on Wilders. I believe in a Netherlands that wants to move forward. That big dares to dream, hold each other together, and chooses hope, cooperation and solutions. Go vote because together we’ll show: it’s possible.”
Kajsa Ollongren, a D66 party member who served as defence minister in government with Jetten, said he is “without a doubt one of the most talented politicians the Netherlands has ever had,” as per The Independent.
“I’m sure that if we win as the exit polls say we do, he’ll want to unite the country and turn around the negative spiral that Wilders has pushed the country in.”
Jetten is engaged to international hockey player Nicolas Keenan.
The New York Times reports that, on Wednesday night, Wilders wrote on social media that “we had hoped for a different result, but kept our backs straight.” But, he added, “we are more combative than ever and still the second and maybe even the biggest party of the Netherlands.”
In September, the Dutch parliament voted to criminalise so-called ‘conversion therapy’ in a victory for LGBTQ+ people in The Netherlands. The chair of LGBTQ+ group COC Nederland, Myrtille Danse, described the passage of the bill as a “victory”.
“You are perfect just the way you are; never let anyone tell you otherwise,” Danse said.
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