THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Rob Jetten has become the youngest and first openly gay prime minister of the Netherlands.
Before Jetten, 38, took the oath of office on Monday to lead a minority three-party ruling coalition, Christian Democrat Ruud Lubbers held the record as the youngest premier when he took office in 1982 at age 43. Lubbers went on to become one of the country's longest-serving leaders.
A veteran of Dutch national politics, Jetten's rise to the top of the political ladder comes nearly a decade after he first won a seat in parliament in 2017 for the centrist, pro-European D66 party he now leads.
Back then, he earned himself the nickname ''Robot'' Jetten after repeating apparently pre-rehearsed and bland responses to journalists' questions.
Now, Jetten has adopted a relaxed demeanor that has gained popularity with the general public, partly thanks to reaching the final round of a prime-time television quiz called ''The Smartest Person.''
He posts regularly on social media, including photos of himself and his partner Nicolás Keenan, an Argentine field hockey star who won a bronze medal with his country's team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Netherlands was the first nation to legalize same-sex marriage, in 2001.
After winning a snap national election in late October, Jetten posted a photo of the pair hugging with a message combining Dutch and Spanish saying: ''Dear Nico, thanks for your unconditional support, I couldn't do it without you.''
