Rob Jetten poised to lead minority Dutch government

Jan. 30, 2026 — Rob Jetten, a 38-year-old centrist, is poised to become the youngest prime minister in the Netherlands and to lead a new governing coalition, the report says. Mr. Jetten’s D66 party formed a coalition with the centrist Christian Democratic Appeal and the center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

Together the parties hold 66 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, 10 short of a majority. Mr. Jetten said the governing coalition had 'big ambitions,' including plans to build more affordable housing. He ran on a campaign of optimism and criticized what he called the 'negativism' of Geert Wilders, a populist known for his anti-Islam and anti-immigration views.

A minority government is rare in the Netherlands and means the cabinet will have to work with opposition leaders in the House to pass bills, a situation the report says could pose a significant hurdle to the coalition’s agenda. Simon Otjes, an assistant professor of Dutch politics at Leiden University, said, 'Now, sometimes the cabinet can look to the left, and other times it can look to the right.' The new coalition sidelines Mr.

Wilders and his Party for Freedom, which won more House seats than any other party in the national elections in 2023; Mr. Wilders has said he will not negotiate with the new government. Mr. Jetten’s next task is to appoint officials to fill his new cabinet, and the king will swear in the new government next month.

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