Rob Arnoldus Adrianus Jetten was born on 25 March 1987 in Veghel, North Brabant, Netherlands. He grew up in Uden and attended his secondary education at Udens College between 1999 and 2005. He then studied at Radboud University between 2005 and 2011, where he obtained a BA and an MA, both in Public Administration.[2][3] After a period as a management trainee at the Dutch railway authority ProRail, he continued working there as a consultant and as a regional supply manager for the north-eastern Netherlands.[4]
Political career
Jetten began his political career as a policy advisor for the D66 faction in the Senate of the States General and as the chairman of the Young Democrats. In addition, between 2010 and 2017, he was a member of the municipal council of Nijmegen. In the 2017 Dutch general election, he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives. Jetten then became his party's spokesperson for climate, energy and gas, railways, democratic renewal and economic affairs.
On 9 October 2018, Jetten was chosen as the new parliamentary leader of D66 in the House of Representatives, succeeding Alexander Pechtold.[5] This did not automatically make him the new party leader as the new leader eventually was to be chosen in the 2020 Democrats 66 leadership election. Aged 31, Jetten became the youngest ever parliamentary leader of D66. After his election, Jetten faced criticism in Dutch media because of his relative young age.[6]
When the fourth Rutte cabinet was sworn in on 10 January 2022, Jetten became Minister for Climate and Energy Policy. Under his leadership, the Dutch government announced plans in 2022 to invest 750 million euros ($789 million) through to 2031 to have the country's gas network operator Gasunie develop a national hydrogen transportation network.[7]
On 14 July 2023, Jetten announced his candidacy to become the next Leader of the D66.[8] He succeeded Sigrid Kaag after she announced that she would not lead D66 into the 2023 general election, due to the impact of the "hate, intimidation and threats" she receives on her family.[9] Jetten returned to the House of Representatives as parliamentary leader after the election.[10] Following Kaag's resignation effective 8 January 2024 to fill a role at the United Nations, Jetten took over her position as Deputy Prime Minister, and he served as acting Minister of Finance for four days.[11][12][13] However, his tasks for the latter were in practice delegated to State Secretary for Finance Marnix van Rij.[14]
Jetten's term as minister ended on 2 July 2024, when the Schoof cabinet was sworn in.[15] When that cabinet presented its 2025 budget which included €2 billion in education cuts, Jetten formed the self-named "unholy alliance" with centrist and conservative opposition parties. Coalition parties needed additional support in the Senate, but D66 pulled out of negotiations in early December 2024, a week before an agreement was reached to reverse €750 million of the cuts.[16][17]
Personal life
Jetten has been in a relationship with Argentinian field hockey player Nicolás Keenan since 2022.[18] They announced their engagement in 2024.[19]
^"Proces-verbaal verkiezingsuitslag Tweede Kamer 2021" [Report of the election results House of Representatives 2021] (PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 29 March 2021. pp. 62–100, 188. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
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