Netherlands' Coalition Government Takes Office Led By Youngest-ever Premier Rob Jetten

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A caller number Dutch conjugation authorities took agency Monday led by Rob Jetten, nan Netherlands’ youngest-ever premier curate who will person to usage each his bridge-building skills to walk laws and spot retired a afloat four-year word successful office.

Jetten, 38, heads a three-party management made up of his centrist D66, nan center-right Christian Democrats and nan center-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

Jetten, who is nan Netherlands’ first openly cheery premier, said successful a station connected X it was “an tremendous grant to beryllium capable to get to activity arsenic premier minister.”

The conjugation parties together clasp only 66 of nan little location of parliament’s 150 seats, truthful Jetten will person to discuss pinch guidance lawmakers to find support for each portion of authorities his authorities wants to pass. The largest guidance bloc, nan recently merged Green Left and Labor Party, has already signaled it will push for changes to immoderate of Jetten’s plans.

Jetten and his squad of ministers took their oath of agency successful nan beingness of King Willem-Alexander successful nan ornate Orange Hall of nan royal palace successful a wood connected nan separator of The Hague. The king wished nan caller authorities bully luck “in uncertain times.”

A mini group of demonstrators from nan Extinction Rebellion biology group protested extracurricular nan gates of nan palace during nan ceremonial and sounded sirens arsenic nan caller ministers lined up for a general photo.

Following nan accepted photograph of nan caller Cabinet connected nan steps of nan palace, nan caller authorities ministers held their first meeting.

The Netherlands’ main LGBTQI+ organization, COC, welcomed Jetten’s appointment.

“The caller premier tin beryllium a domiciled exemplary for group from nan rainbow community,” it said successful a statement. “It shows that your intersexual predisposition doesn’t person to matter. That you tin go a building worker, a doctor, a lawyer, and moreover premier minister.”

The authorities was sworn successful 117 days aft nationalist elections that Jetten’s statement won by a constrictive separator complete nan Party for Freedom led by anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders. The last consequence was decided only aft a count of postal ballots aft nan 4th nationalist predetermination since 2017 successful nan politically splintered Netherlands.

The caller authorities took agency a time earlier nan 4th day of Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine. Jetten has pledged to proceed his country’s beardown support for Kyiv arsenic it battles nan forces of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has besides said he will proceed spending to fortify nan Dutch subject successful times of geopolitical uncertainty.

Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, nan caller defense minister, will beryllium successful complaint of overseeing that extremity and she underscored its value successful her first connection connected societal media aft taking up her post.

“Our ain information is astatine stake, and we must not beryllium naive astir that,” she posted connected X. “If we want state to prevail and our measurement of life to endure, past nan Netherlands and Europe must return matters into their ain hands.”

Corder writes for nan Associated Press.