Dutch coalition agreement lists a Caribbean platform

The new Dutch government sees many opportu­nities for cooperation with the Caribbean part of the kingdom. This is evident from the coalition agreement presented by the lead­ers of D66, CDA and WD.

The parties have a relatively strong focus on security and sus­tainable development, mention­ing the establishment of a Carib­bean growth platform. There will be continued attention to finance, governance and poverty, includ­ing funding for the so-called BES islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba).

“The kingdom offers many op­portunities to strengthen society and the economy on both sides of the Atlantic. That is why we are committed to equal coopera­tion, tackling poverty and making much better use of oppor­tunities for green growth,” the accord states in its chapter “A Strong Democ­racy.”

The governing partners also refer to the fact that the kingdom will be repre­sented at the FIFA World Cup by both the Dutch and Curacao national football teams.

The theme of security is frequently mentioned in the coalition agreement. “The Netherlands has a responsibility to protect the Caribbean part of our kingdom. That is why we maintain a credible mili­tary presence,” the authors wrote. The defence chapter discusses “strengthening our vital infrastructure in the North Sea and the de­fence of the Caribbean part of the kingdom.”

Regarding sustainability, the parties acknowledge that the Caribbean coun­tries and islands are feel­ing the effects of climate change through coral dam­age and flooding. Joint climate policy therefore remains important, as does investment in the economy.

“That is why we are es­tablishing an Economic Growth Platform Carib, with the aim of stimulating economic development and innovation on the six is­lands. Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten should also be able to use the National In­vestment Institution.”

The platform and institu­tion are proposals from the D66 and CDA. “Of course, the coalition accord con­tains proposals that clearly stem from one of the three election programmes,” said D66 leader Rob Jetten.

“If you look closely, you’ll see the party colours, but I’m pleased that we’ve managed to create a coher­ent narrative,” said VVD leader Dylan Yesilgoz. One VVD proposal in the agreement is to amend the Kingdom Charter, allowing the islands to declare inde­pendence.

Then agreement also has many recurring themes. For Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, this is tackling poverty.

“30 million euros will be made structurally available for poverty issues in the Ca­ribbean Netherlands and the further implementation of the recommendations of the Social Minimum Com­mission. The document also mentions the modern­ization of governance and financial legislation on the three islands, but without providing details. The so-called WolBES and Fin­BES are sensitive issues.

Recurring themes for the three Dutch Caribbean countries are healthy gov­ernment finances, good governance and a strong rule of law. “We, the Neth­erlands, continue our ef­forts to work with Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten on good governance, tack­ling undermining and cor­ruption, and sustainably strengthening the economy and education through sus­tainable agreements.” The parties want to make the European Parliament elec­tions more accessible as well.

The Caribbean part of the kingdom plays a more im­portant role in the coalition agreement of D66, CDA, and VVD than that of over a year and a half ago. “The Netherlands considers the Caribbean part of the king­dom valuable,” was the only reference to the islands by the then-coalition of PVV, VVD, BBB and NSC.

However, the two are dif­ficult to compare. The 2024 accord was a concise out­line agreement and con­tained provisions that the parties involved still had to work out among them­selves.

The current version is al­most three times as long, but contains many plans that the coalition partners still have to negotiate with the opposition parties. These negotiations are important because D66, CDA, and VVD do not have a majority in both the House of Representatives (Second Chamber) and Senate (First Chamber) of Parliament.

These negotiations may begin as early as Tuesday. The House of Representa­tives will then debate the coalition accord.

If there is sufficient sup­port, D66 leader Jetten will be appointed “formateur” and can form a government from candidates nominated by D66, CDA, and VVD. The minister and/or state secretary responsible for Kingdom Relations will also be determined at that time. Appointment of the new cabinet is scheduled for February 23.

The Daily Herald.