Dr. Wouter Veenendaal, Professor of Kingdom Relations and Associate Professor of Comparative Political Science at Leiden University, delivered his inaugural lecture on Mon­day. Sitting in the centre of the bench on the left is Professor Francio Guadeloupe, President of the University of St. Martin in Philipsburg.

The Dutch pub­lic has a much more positive attitude toward the Carib­bean islands of the Kingdom than is often believed. A new opinion study by Wouter Veenendaal, Professor of Kingdom Relations at Leiden University, reveals that many Dutch people feel the Neth­erlands has a moral duty to support the islands and that financial aid should continue.

For the first time in over a decade, public opinion on Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eu­statius has been surveyed. The findings contrast sharply with a 2015 poll conducted by Maurice de Hond on be­half of the far-right Party For Freedom PVV party. That survey asked a single question about the islands’ indepen­dence, stating that “financial mismanagement and/or fraud regularly occur” in the Ca­ribbean territories. Based on that poll, the PVV conclud­ed that most Dutch citizens wanted to sever ties with the islands.

However, this new study, which surveyed 2,843 re­spondents, paints a different picture. A majority of Dutch people believe that the is­lands should continue receiv­ing financial support. Nearly 70% think Dutch schools should pay more attention to Kingdom Relations. There is no majority support for the islands’ independence.

According to researcher Veenendaal, the Dutch are far more positive about the Caribbean territories than commonly assumed. “Many people believe that most Dutch citizens share the PVV’s views,” he said. “That idea has crept in over time.”

The PVV has historically taken a hardline stance on the Caribbean islands, once describing them as a “cor­rupt den of thieves” and even proposing to sell them on the online marketplace Marktp­laats for one euro. This rhetoric sparked major concerns in the Caribbean when PVV member Zsolt Szabo was ap­pointed State Secretary for Kingdom Relations last year.

The study also found that three-quarters of respon­dents admitted to having little knowledge of the relationship between the Netherlands and its Caribbean territories. Ad­ditionally, 40% incorrectly believed that Caribbean resi­dents can vote in Dutch par­liamentary elections.

A lack of awareness is also evident in the survey results, as at least a quarter of re­spondents had no opinion on many questions. Despite this, a large majority believes that the Netherlands has a moral responsibility toward the is­lands. Most respondents also support equal social benefits for residents of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius, comparable to those in the European Netherlands.

Despite these opinions, sig­nificant differences in social benefits persist between the Caribbean municipalities and the European Netherlands. Residents of Bonaire, Saba and Statia receive fewer hous­ing and healthcare allowanc­es, and their pensions, welfare and unemployment benefits are lower. Meanwhile, the cost of living on the islands is about 15 times higher than in the Netherlands.

The Schoof government has taken little action to address these disparities. According to Veenendaal, there is cur­rently little political engage­ment with the Caribbean territories, even though his research indicates that many Dutch citizens value a strong relationship with the islands. “Almost everyone believes that the Netherlands should continue to play a role there,” he said.

The Daily Herald.