Netherlands’ next PM Rob Jetten to make history as first openly gay leader, he's engaged to an Olympian
Rob Jetten, 38, is set to become the Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay prime minister after leading his D66 party to victory. The historic win comes as he prepares to marry Olympian Nico Keenan.
The Netherlands will make history by electing Rob Jetten, 38, as its new prime minister, following national elections held on Wednesday, October 29. The victory makes Jetten both the youngest and the first openly gay leader to hold the office, according to German outlet Deutsche Welle (DW).
Jetten, leader of the centrist-liberal D66 party, defeated Geert Wilders of the far-right Party for Freedom, who campaigned on anti-immigration policies and previously called for a ban on the Quran among other Islamophobic remarks, People reported.
"I am incredibly happy that ... we have become the biggest party in this election," Jetten told reporters after the results were announced. "A historic result for the D66. At the same time, I feel a great responsibility."
He added, "I think we've now shown to the rest of Europe and the world that it is possible to beat the populist movements if you campaign with a positive message for your country."
Awaiting final confirmation
Although Jetten is the projected winner, DW reports that the result will be officially confirmed on Monday, 3 November, once mail-in ballots from Dutch citizens living abroad are counted.
Celebrating with his fiancé
On election night, Jetten was supported by his fiancé, two-time Olympian Nico Keenan, who shared a light-hearted TikTok video of the couple preparing for the evening. In the clip, set to RAYE’s “Where the Hell Is My Husband?”, Keenan appeared in a suit before Jetten joined him. The pair smiled at the camera and shared a brief kiss.
"Election night, let’s go🔥🫶🏽," Keenan captioned the post.
Jetten has also been a visible supporter of Keenan’s sporting career. When Keenan competed for Argentina in field hockey at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Jetten was in the stands cheering him on.
The couple announced their engagement in November 2024, when Keenan posted a photo of his ring on Instagram, writing, “Soon to be Mr&Mr💍.”
Keenan, who is bisexual, plays for the Netherlands’ Hockey Club Klein Zwitserland, having joined in 2017. In an interview with Dutch outlet Trouw earlier this year, he said he had received messages of support for competing as an openly bisexual athlete.
“People told me how happy they were that there was finally an openly bisexual hockey player playing in the Premier League,” he said.
According to the BBC, Jetten and Keenan are expected to marry next year.