The Dutch government’s plans for recurring Kingdom Conferences raised an eyebrow or two in Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten. It was listed as one of the incoming Jetten Cabinet’s three main priorities for the Caribbean (see last Tuesday’s newspaper) in a Kingdom Relations policy note.
State Secretary Eric van der Brug had first mentioned the idea during his recent trip to the islands. However, a letter on Wednesday’s opinion pages cautioned that a dialogue on the Kingdom Charter requires care, equality and a focus on the real priorities of the people.
The author, a former Curaçao lt. governor and prime minister as well as ex-vice president of the -then Antillean- Central Bank, suggested preventing any new constitutional debate from becoming a political diversion while the urgent concerns of society including purchasing power, livelihood security, public safety, economic development, plus quality of governance, education and public services continue to demand attention. He called it important to avoid creating the impression that local politicians mainly interested in tampering with the charter rather than focussing on tangible results for their people, are being actively facilitated from The Hague.
Others reminded us of decades of constitutional talks and several referenda before the -no longer existent- Netherlands Antilles was finally dismantled and the present relations within the kingdom were established per 10-10-10. They argue for stability and calm, particularly in a currently uncertain and turbulent world.
The Dutch government says its proposal entails a permanent platform and a major step toward stronger structural cooperation within the kingdom. It would become a fixed consultation mechanism between the four governments, creating a regular forum to discuss shared challenges and opportunities in areas like energy cooperation, trade, logistics, education and broader regional economic development.
Nevertheless, recent reports of reviving a 2019 bill by Dutch coalition partner VVD to amend the charter so Curaçao and St. Maarten can opt for independence themselves sparked questions. For one thing, should the former colonies decide to do so based on their right of self-determination, no charter can stop them anyway.
It was also stated that this is already the case for Aruba, but they had actually agreed to “Status Aparte” for a transitional phase of 10 years, followed by full independence. The latter requirement was eventually dropped at the request of the island.
This latest intent by the European Netherlands to establish an instrument for dialogue on the kingdom’s future perhaps deserves the benefit of the doubt. However, especially considering past experience with similar summits and subsequent negotiations, the proof of the pudding will – as usual – be very much in the eating.
