It appears the long-awaited Kingdom dispute settlement regulation will finally become a reality. The latest objection from the Council of State against creating a special department within that advisory body for this purpose was set aside by the Kingdom Council of Ministers.
The amended law in question will therefore not be withdrawn or changed. This means the structure to handle such disagreements should soon be set up.
Let’s face it, the current bill isn’t exactly what the four Parliaments of the Netherlands, Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten wanted or had agreed on during their periodic IPKO meetings. However, it appears to be the maximum attainable result and there will in any case be an evaluation after three years.
While a de facto democratic deficit within the kingdom is undeniable, the vast difference in scale between the European and Caribbean parts realistically makes addressing that problem a tall order. Efforts have been made, mind you, such as being able to vote for European and even Dutch elections.
These adjustments are not going to make a huge immediate impact precisely because of the gap in size. Nevertheless, they are small steps that can gradually help give the islands a bit more influence in The Hague and Strasbourg.
The dispute resolution law is another achievement in that direction. It’s perhaps not ideal, but certainly a whole lot better than nothing.
