Jetten grew up in Uden, Noord-Brabant and attended his secondary education at Udens College between 1999 and 2005. He then studied at the Radboud University Nijmegen, where he obtained a BA in 2010 and an MA degree in 2011, 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]
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, 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] When the fourth Rutte cabinet was sworn in on 10 January 2022, Jetten became Minister for Climate and Energy Policy. Following Kaag's resignation effective 8 January 2023 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.[10][11][12] However, his tasks for the latter were in practice delegated to Secretary of State for Finance Marnix van Rij.[13]
He was previously in a long term relationship with his ex-boyfriend, Sjoerd van Gils, the two lived in Ubbergen, Gelderland, Netherlands.[16]
On the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia in 2020, he read a number of hate messages received regarding his homosexuality in a Twitter message. He says he received dozens of these messages every day. Under a pseudonym, people abused him because of his sexual orientation.[17] Jetten wanted to show that this international day against homophobia was really necessary.[18]
His close friendship with politician Jesse Klaver went viral on social media, with some linking the friendship to a bromance or relationship.[19][20]
^"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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