King Willem-Alexander swore in Prime Minister Rob Jetten and his cabinet at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague on Monday morning, marking the start of the Netherlands' first D66-led government. At 38, Jetten becomes the youngest prime minister in Dutch history and the country's first openly gay head of government.
Minority government faces uphill battle
The Jetten I Cabinet comprises 18 ministers and 10 state secretaries from D66, VVD, and CDA. Together, the three parties hold only 66 of the 150 seats in the lower house, meaning the government will need to negotiate support from opposition parties for every piece of legislation.
D66 contributes ten cabinet members, VVD nine, and CDA eight. State Secretary Sandra Palmen, responsible for addressing the childcare benefits scandal, remains non-partisan. Four ministers who served in the previous Schoof cabinet did not need to be sworn in again, though all state secretaries were required to retake their oaths regardless of previous service.
Twelve cabinet members chose the religious oath, swearing "So help me God Almighty," while twelve made the non-religious affirmation. None chose to take the oath in Frisian, the Netherlands' second official language.
Photo Credits: Henriëtte Guest/rijksoverheid.nl
Key appointments
The cabinet includes several high-profile appointments. VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius becomes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, tasked with expanding the military. CDA's Bart van den Brink serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Asylum Policy. Tom Berendsen (CDA), former leader of his party's European Parliament bloc, takes over as Foreign Minister.
Finance Minister Eelco Heinen retains his position from the previous administration. D66's Hans Vijlbrief, who oversaw the definitive end of Groningen gas extraction, becomes Minister of Social Affairs and Employment. The 34-year-old Jaimi van Essen, currently climate councillor in Deventer, takes on the challenging Agriculture portfolio, where he must address the nitrogen crisis.
The cabinet has reduced the number of ministries by three compared to its predecessor, merging Asylum and Migration into Justice and Security, Climate and Green Growth into Economic Affairs and Climate, and Housing and Spatial Planning into Interior Affairs.
Path to power
Jetten narrowly won the 29 October election, with D66 and Geert Wilders' PVV both securing 26 seats. The final result hinged on postal ballots, giving D66 a slim victory on vote share. The snap election followed the collapse of the Wilders-led coalition in June 2025 after just 11 months, making the Schoof cabinet one of the shortest-lived governments in Dutch history.
Coalition formation took 117 days, considerably faster than the 223 days required for the previous government. Jetten initially favoured a broader coalition including GroenLinks-PvdA, but this was firmly opposed by VVD.
Policy priorities
The coalition agreement pledges continued support for Ukraine, commitment to NATO spending targets, and pro-European policies. Jetten has advocated raising defence spending from 2% to 3% of GDP, arguing that Europe can no longer rely on the United States following Donald Trump's return to the presidency.
However, critics note the government maintains a "right-wing signature" despite its centrist leadership. The coalition plans healthcare and welfare cuts rather than deficit spending, and will continue the previous government's migration crackdown, including stricter family reunification rules.
Small protest
A few dozen Extinction Rebellion activists protested outside the palace gates during the ceremony, displaying banners reading "Jetten, do what you promised." They accused the new prime minister of "committing voter fraud" by doing too little for the climate and continuing the previous cabinet's migration policies.
Following the traditional photo on the palace steps, the cabinet held its first meeting Monday afternoon. This evening, ministers will meet the parliamentary press corps at the Catshuis.
