Dear Chairman and Members of the Committees Social Affairs and Kingdom Relations,
Today, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, I opened the Volkskrant and read with pleasure the intention of the Cabinet to show a more social face. Instead of acting out of distrust, a new attitude is taking “possession” of the cabinet: more room for customization, based on trust. That is, of course, good news! I would like to see one small extra step taken: The Caribbean Netherlands is also part of the country of the Netherlands!
In short, put aside all typically Caribbean Dutch concepts such as “onderstand”, end the discussion aimed at a social minimum for the Dutch Caribbean and instead think “inclusively”: the Caribbean Dutchman is also a Dutchman. The Dutch law is also applicable to the Caribbean Netherlands, unless … (motto: “comply or explain”). I am now referring to article 132a, paragraph 4 of the Constitution (i.c. “own” rules possible in case of special circumstances, essentially different from the European Netherlands).
Speaking of the entire Dutch Caribbean – it concerns the three islands of Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire – we are talking about a total of approximately 27,000 people: the size of a village in the European Netherlands. Paraphrasing astronaut Neil Armstrong (the first man on the moon) I would like to say: “For the European Dutchman perhaps a small step, for the entire country of the Netherlands a giant leap forward.”
J.H.T. (Jan) Meijer
St. Eustatius
