Dutch king swears in new coalition govt led by youngest, openly gay PM Rob Jetten

Dutch King Willem‑Alexander on Monday officially swore in a new minority coalition government led by Rob Jetten , who at 38 became the youngest prime minister in the Netherlands’ history and the country’s first openly gay premier . The new administration must navigate deep political divisions and build consensus in a fragmented parliament to pass laws and stay in office for a full four‑year term.

Jetten heads a three‑party coalition made up of his centrist Democrats ’66 (D66) , the centre‑right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) , and the centre‑right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) . Together, the parties hold only 66 of the lower house’s 150 seats , meaning the government lacks a majority and must negotiate with opposition lawmakers for every piece of legislation it wants to enact.

The swearingin ceremony took place at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, where all 18 ministers and 10 state secretaries were sworn into office in the presence of the king. Twelve ministers took a religious oath , and the others made a non‑religious promise ; none chose to be sworn in using Frisian, the country’s second official language.

Officials noted that the number of ministries has been reduced by three compared with the previous cabinet, and several portfolios such as asylum and migration, climate policy and housing were integrated into other departments under the new structure. Encouraging cooperation across the coalition, Jetten’s D66 supplies the largest contingent of ministers, followed by the VVD and the CDA.

During the ceremony, King Willem‑Alexander wished the new government success “in uncertain times.” Moments later, Jetten took over the official prime ministerial X account (@minpres) from his predecessor, marking the symbolic start of his administration’s digital presence. The ministers and state secretaries then traveled to their respective ministries for official handovers of authority.

Outside the palace gates, a small but vocal group of climate activists from Extinction Rebellion protested, accusing the new government of failing to fulfil climate promises made during the election campaign and continuing policies seen as inadequate on immigration.

Jetten’s government was formed 117 days after the Oct. 29 national election , following lengthy coalition talks that concluded with a coalition agreement signed on Jan. 30. The elections were triggered by the collapse of the previous cabinet when its largest partner withdrew over disagreements on asylum policy.

In addition to managing the challenges of a minority government, Jetten has pledged to strengthen the Dutch military , maintain robust support for Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion , and prioritise economic growth, housing initiatives and energy transition as outlined in the coalition agreement.

The new Cabinet’s first official meeting took place later Monday, with immediate tasks including drafting a detailed policy programme and beginning negotiations with opposition parties to secure backing for key legislation.