Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has announced that he and his fiancé, Argentine hockey player Nicolás Keenan, are expecting their first child through surrogacy next year.
The 39-year-old, who became the Netherlands’ first openly gay prime minister and the youngest person to hold the office, shared the news on Instagram alongside an ultrasound image.
“Someone very special is on the way. See you in 2027, little one,” Jetten wrote, thanking the egg donor, surrogate mother and their families for helping make the pregnancy possible.
Jetten and Keenan, who became engaged in 2024, had originally planned to marry this year before postponing their wedding following Jetten's rise to the country's highest political office.
Details released by Jetten's liberal D66 party said both the surrogate mother and egg donor are Dutch friends of the couple who already have children of their own. The party stressed that the arrangement is not commercial and complies with Dutch law, under which paying a surrogate is prohibited.
“This is not a case of commercial surrogacy,” the party said, adding that both women offered their support to help the couple fulfil their dream of becoming parents.
The pregnancy was made possible through IVF treatment carried out in the Netherlands, according to D66.
Dutch media reported that Jetten is expected to become the first post-war Dutch prime minister to welcome a child while serving in office. He is also believed to be the first openly gay Dutch premier to become a parent through surrogacy while in government.
Jetten's office said he plans to take a few days away from official duties when the baby is born but is not expected to take an extended period of parental leave.
The announcement has been widely welcomed by LGBTQ+ campaigners and supporters, with the couple's journey to parenthood shining a spotlight on family-building options available to same-sex couples in the Netherlands.
Scene was founded in Brighton in 1993, at a time when news stories about Pride protests were considered radical.
Since then, Scene has remained proudly independent, building a platform for queer voices. Every subscription helps us to report on the stories that matter to LGBTQ+ people across the UK and beyond.
Your support funds our journalists and contributes to Pride Community Foundation’s grant-making and policy work.
Member discussion