The announcement

Dutch prime minister Rob Jetten and his partner Nico Keenan are expecting a child in 2027, to be born through a surrogate. The couple announced the news on Instagram in a single post that combined a photograph of the surrogate with an ultrasound image. The statement was written in Dutch, English and Spanish. Keenan is an Argentine hockey player, and the message described a very special person on the way. The couple also thanked the egg donor, the surrogate and their families for making the pregnancy possible.

“Without you, none of this would have been possible.”

How surrogacy works in the Netherlands

Surrogacy is legal in the Netherlands, but the framework is strictly altruistic. Commercial surrogacy is banned, and so are intermediary agencies and public advertising, including searches on social media for a surrogate or for applicants to act as one. Only private and voluntary arrangements with people close to the intended parents are allowed, and money may only cover the costs of the pregnancy and birth. Dutch law automatically recognises the woman who gives birth as the legal mother, so the intended parents must later complete an adoption or obtain a court ruling transferring parental authority. Few countries in Europe offer access to this process for diverse family models, including same-sex couples.

Relationship and background

The couple publicly confirmed their relationship in August 2023 and became engaged in November 2024. Keenan initially wanted the relationship kept secret out of fear of reactions in the more conservative top-sport world. The two first met by chance in a supermarket in The Hague, where they were neighbours after Jetten had moved temporarily to the neighbourhood. A wedding planned for August 2026 was postponed because of busy schedules. Jetten is 39 and Keenan is 29.

Jetten's path to the premiership

Jetten, a D66 politician, was born in Veghel and grew up in Uden. He has been prime minister since 23 February 2026, the youngest and first openly gay person to hold the office in the Netherlands. He had spoken openly about wanting children on the talk show Casa di Beau. In early January he made a veiled remark that was understood as a call for a surrogate, which led to considerable debate. Paid surrogacy is not permitted in the Netherlands.