So it makes sense
The Netherlands long counted as technocratically well-run — and today it shows how European politics is changing. It is governed by the youngest generation of leaders, the dominant domestic issue is the nitrogen crisis, which genuinely decides whether building is allowed, and a dispute over tolerance runs through society, including on social media.
- Who governs
- The prime minister is Rob Jetten (D66), six months into the job. His government must decide on nitrogen targets: according to the Environmental Assessment Agency they can be met only with an across-the-board cut in livestock numbers, which the farming organisation LTO rejects as non-negotiable. Jetten himself faces sustained homophobic abuse on X — among those posting are civil servants and police officers.
- Who opposes
- The strongest force on the right remains Geert Wilders and his PVV. From the left, Jetten is pressed by parties asking where his climate agenda went after a record hot summer.
- Next election
- The next parliamentary election is expected in 2029.
