Dutch PM Rob Jetten and fiancé to have child via surrogate in 2027
In short
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, 39, and his fiancé Nicolas Keenan (니콜라스 키넌) said on Instagram that they will have a child through a surrogate in 2027. Jetten's party D66 said the surrogate and the egg donor are Dutch acquaintances of the couple and that this is not a commercial surrogacy case.
Read the full story 2 min read
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, 39, said he and his fiancé Nicolas Keenan (니콜라스 키넌) will have a child through a surrogate in 2027. Korean outlets reported, citing AFP, Reuters and Euronews, that Jetten posted on Instagram on the 19th, local time. The photo showed the couple holding a fetal ultrasound image. The caption read: "Someone very special is coming. See you in 2027, baby." [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Jetten also thanked the egg donor and the surrogate, Lisa, and their families. He said he could not put his gratitude into words and that none of it would have been possible without them. According to Euronews, as reported by Kyunghyang Shinmun and Newsis, Lisa said that becoming a surrogate felt like a very special way to help the dreams of dear friends come true. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Jetten's party, D66, said in a statement that the surrogate and the egg donor are Dutch people who know the couple, and that this is not a commercial surrogacy case. Newsis reported that the party described a Dutch couple who already have children as helping. D66 said the two are happy to help the prospective fathers realise their wish. Dong-A Ilbo reported that D66 also said Jetten plans a few days of leave after the birth but no long parental leave. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Dutch law does not allow commercial surrogacy, in which money changes hands, and recognises only the non-commercial kind. Kyunghyang Shinmun added that intended parents may reimburse the surrogate for costs arising from the pregnancy and birth. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Jetten and Keenan, a hockey player from Argentina, became engaged in 2024. Jetten leads the centre-left D66, which won last year's general election, and in February he became the youngest prime minister in Dutch history and the first to say he is gay. Dong-A Ilbo reported that the couple have been together since 2022 and postponed a planned summer wedding after he took office. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Yonhap and Asia Economy placed the news alongside a case in Germany. They reported that in July Jens Spahn, 46, parliamentary leader of the governing CDU, resigned after disclosing that he had had a child through a surrogate in the United States. They said having a child born abroad through surrogacy is legal in Germany, but the CDU officially opposes surrogacy and Spahn had blocked its legalisation as health minister, which drew accusations of hypocrisy. [ 2 , 5 ]
Why it matters
Korean outlets stressed that Jetten is the Netherlands' first openly gay prime minister. Several also pointed to Dutch law, which allows only non-commercial surrogacy, and two linked it to a surrogacy controversy in Germany.
Key facts
- Jetten and his fiancé Nicolas Keenan (니콜라스 키넌) announced on Instagram on the 19th (local time) that they will have a child through a surrogate. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Their post, with a photo of a fetal ultrasound image, read: "Someone very special is coming. See you in 2027, baby." [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Jetten thanked the egg donor and the surrogate, named Lisa, and their families, saying none of it would have been possible without them. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- D66 said in a statement that the surrogate and the egg donor are Dutch people who know the couple and that it is not a commercial surrogacy case. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Dutch law does not allow commercial surrogacy and permits only the non-commercial kind. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Jetten became the Netherlands' youngest prime minister and its first openly gay one in February, after D66, which he leads, won last year's election. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Jetten and Keenan said they will have a child in 2027 through a surrogate; the announcement was made on Instagram on the 19th (local time). [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- D66 said the surrogate and the egg donor are Dutch acquaintances of the couple and that the case is not a commercial surrogacy. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Dutch law allows only non-commercial surrogacy. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Jetten and Keenan have been engaged since 2024. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Jetten will take parental leave Only one outlet reports D66 saying he plans a few days of leave after the birth but no long parental leave.
- The expected month of the birth The documents give only 2027 and no more precise date.
- Whether Keenan is a current or former hockey player Most outlets call him a hockey player from Argentina, one calls him an Argentina national team player and one describes him as a former hockey player.
- How long the couple have been together One outlet says they have been dating since 2022; the others give only the 2024 engagement.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis published a first report on the announcement. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap published its report, citing AFP. [ 2 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun published its report. [ 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo published its report, citing Reuters. [ 4 ]
- Asia Economy published its report. [ 5 ]
- A second Newsis report appeared, on 21 October local time. [ 6 ]