Dutch centrist party leader Rob Jetten, 38, revamped his image on the campaign trail from nagging climate minister to optimistic "yes, we can" politician. He is now poised to be the youngest and first openly gay prime minister in the Netherlands’ history after his party’s strong performance in Wednesday’s (October 29) election.

With polished messaging and a surge in advertising spending, Jetten moved beyond his D66 party’s traditional social liberal themes of climate change and education, plunging into the divisive topics of immigration and a housing crisis. In the process he won over some voters who had previously looked to right-wing parties.

Jetten accused far-right leader Geert Wilders of "hijacking" Dutch identity and lambasted him for only standing up for women’s and LGBTQ rights t

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