Screenshot of the webinar participants.
THE HAGUE--The shared concerns by many are that the relations within the Kingdom are subject to serious neglect and that permanent maintenance is required, with responsibility from all partners within the Kingdom. Member of the Council of State Curaçao’s Paul Comenencia had an honest, yet uneasy message during Friday’s webinar.
Organised by the Council of State, Comenencia along with three other guest speakers, Marcel Gumbs from St. Maarten, Angel Bermudez from Bonaire and Jeroen Recourt from the Netherlands shared their views on the challenges of the Kingdom. The webinar was well-attended with 60 participants, and a final word by Vice-president of the Council of State Thom de Graaf.
The formal binding factor in the Kingdom is the charter. “We cannot and should not let go of each other,” said Comenencia, who added that the governments of the four countries had a responsibility to keep the consultation going in the interest of all citizens in the Kingdom.
During the webinar, Comenencia gave an introduction to his recently published essay titled “Divided Kingdom” in which he wrote about the former Netherlands Antilles’ evolution of autonomy and the developments that resulted to the establishment of two new countries in 2010, Curaçao and St. Maarten. His essay was also a plea for new élan in the Kingdom relations.
The Dutch Caribbean countries can leave the Kingdom, if their population votes for this, but the question is whether that would be a smart move, Comenencia noted. “What sense does it make for vulnerable microstates like Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten to depart the Kingdom when they run the risk of getting caught in a web of other geopolitical or (private) economic interests?”
Comenencia made a suggestion for “pragmatically oriented Caribbean parts of the Kingdom and a more inclusive, strategic-thinking Netherlands to conclude together that our joint future for the meantime is best served in close Kingdom ties, with roots both in Europe and the Caribbean.”
Now more evident
Continuing in the same manner is, in any case, not an option. The partners should want to and have to talk about the fact that the Dutch Caribbean countries are very limited due to their extremely small-scale and restricted capacity. During the current coronavirus pandemic, the limitations of the small states are even more evident. Acknowledging this and deciding to work on this together is in the citizens’ interest. Custom-made solutions per island are essential, instead of the one-size-fits-all attitude.
A joint vision for the Kingdom is needed, as well as a good, healthy relationship between members of government and the Parliaments. “Almost 400 years of being together creates responsibilities, also on the side of the Netherlands. As long as the islands want to remain part of the Kingdom, they have the most to gain from preventing a further deterioration of the relations. A lot of time has passed to work on this, but much is still possible, if we act now,” said Comenencia.
Head of the Health Cost Insurance Office ZVK of the National Government Department Caribbean Netherlands RCN in Bonaire, fiscal law expert and former Aruba Finance Minister Angel Bermudez further elaborated on the small scale of the islands and the limited capacity.
Hands and heads
“We have to be more aware that we simply cannot do everything. When faced with these limitations, we should not be shy to ask for assistance, ask for hands and heads, for expertise and competency. Try to do yourself what you are good at and turn to the others in the Kingdom for whatever you cannot do,” said Bermudez, who added that the Netherlands could also give more incentives and show more empathy towards the islands.
Bermudez called for more investments in joint topics that benefited the entire Kingdom. He mentioned organising a more comprehensive education system that better prepared youngsters for their future; more cooperation in the area of detention facilities, with an increased exchange of means and capacity; a joint Dutch Caribbean Audit Chamber; improvement of transport between the islands; and more uniform legislation in the Kingdom.
Small-scale dilemma
Former St. Maarten Prime Minister, retired politician Marcel Gumbs said he agreed with Comenencia and Bermudez on the small-scale dilemma. Even if we address the small-scale issue, does it solve all problems? We simply do not have the numbers on the islands, the capacity is lacking.”
Gumbs said it was time to develop a common vision for the future. Also, an evaluation should be done of the 10-year existence of Curaçao and St. Maarten as autonomous countries. “Take time out to evaluate what we have done with our autonomy and what we have achieved.”
Being a country is no small feat and takes a certain mindset. “As I have said before, we want to be boss, but we do not have the money. We want to drink champagne, but only have money for a coke.” Gumbs said he was “very concerned with the attitude and atmosphere of comments back and forth” in the Kingdom. “The blaming, pointing fingers should cease, and instead focus on how we can come together and work together.”
Old pain
Member of the First Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, and former Judge in Aruba, Jeroen Recourt spoke of “old pain” that flows within the Kingdom. He said that as long as this old pain was not dealt with and emotions were not pronounced, a better, more practical cooperation within the Kingdom would not be accomplished. The often arrogant and bantering tone of the Netherlands is not conducive to cooperation.
Recourt suggested working more with a combination of three islands: Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire as a cluster, and St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba as a cluster. “In that way, the Windward Islands for example can strategise on what it wants to accomplish together with the Netherlands.” He agreed that a vision for the Kingdom was essential.
In his closing remarks, Vice-president De Graaf said that both the 10 years of new constitutional relations and the 65th anniversary of the charter were reason enough to evaluate, to look back, and also to look forward. He said a common vision was essential to working together.
De Graaf agreed with Bermudez that more themes could be and should be looked at – at a Kingdom level – bearing in mind the differentiation and the large differences between the partners. “That requires tailor-made, precise consideration, not working with large strokes.”
More regional cooperation, working in clusters of islands was a good idea, said De Graaf. He said he was worried about the lack of a jointly carried responsibility within the Kingdom. A number of webinar participants made use of the opportunity to pose questions to the four speakers through panel chairman Ron van der Veer.
