THE HAGUE--St. Maarten House in The Hague will host an information session with candidates for the European Union Parliament election on Friday, May 17. Citizens of the EU vote for their new Members of the European Union Parliament from May 26 to 29.
Dutch citizens on St. Maarten, who are registered to vote in the election, will cast their ballots on May 23.
Minister Plenipotentiary Jorien Wuite said the information session will include a debate and question-and-answer session with candidates. The session will be moderated by Sint Maarten student Sakir De Castro.
The session is set for 3:30pm to 6:00pm at Huis van Europa on Korte Vijverberg 5, Den Haag, and will also be livestreamed via Facebook. To attend, register via e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. A valid identification is mandatory to enter Huis van Europa.
Several experts will give information about the European elections and the importance of the Caribbean element within the EU.
Political correspondent forTrouw newspaper Marno de Boer will speak about the most pressing issues during these elections. Constitutional Law Lecturer at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Gohar Karapetian, will address the significance of the EU for Sint Maarten and the other Caribbean territories within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Senior policy advisor at the Cabinet of Minister Plenipotentiary Carol Voges will talk about the Overseas Countries and Territories representation in the EU.
After the introductions, the candidates present will debate several EU issues pertaining to the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Thus far, candidates for 50PLUS, CDA, ChristenUnie/SGP, D66, Denk and Partij van de Arbeid have confirmed their attendance.
