Rob Jetten: Dutch head of government and his partner become fathers

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and his fiancé Nicolás Keenan

Since taking office earlier this year, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, 39, has rarely had reason to rejoice. The left-liberal juggles a minority government of three parties, had to deal with declining approval ratings and criticism of a cutback package on social welfare. But privately Jetten now has every reason to rejoice: He and his fiancé Nicolás Keenan, 29, become fathers.

Someone very special comes to us. Goodbye 2027, little ones, write the two men in a post on Instagram.

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They are “super grateful” to the donor of the egg and her surrogate mother Lisa and her families, write Jetten and Keenan. “Without you all this would not be possible.” In the posted photo you can see the couple with an ultrasound photo.

Jetten has been the first openly homosexual head of government in the Netherlands since the beginning of the year. His Argentinian partner Keenan is a professional hockey player and Argentinian international. Originally they both wanted to get married this year. But the wedding was postponed to next year. Jetten and Keenan had justified this with the prime minister's busy schedule.

On Instagram, the couple receives many congratulations. But on other social media, such as X, you can also read hateful news. Jetten had announced that he was threatened daily because of his homosexuality. Once a week he files criminal charges for such cases, he said.

In the Netherlands, altruistic surrogacy is allowed. The intended parents can look for a surrogate mother in the close circle of relatives or friends. However, it is considered a criminal offence to mediate professionally or commercially between surrogate mother and intended parents.

In Germany, egg donation and surrogacy are prohibited by the Embryo Protection Act. Those who are childless and wealthy, however, can go the way via a surrogate motherhood abroad. CDU politician Jens Spahn and his husband Daniel Funke had used this to have a baby through a surrogate mother in the USA. However, since Spahn had campaigned against legalizing surrogacy in Germany in the past, he had been harshly criticized for his decision. Shortly thereafter, he resigned as parliamentary group chairman of the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag.