Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean
Eric van den Burg of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy VVD has been put forward as the intended State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, a nomination that has been met with concern in the Dutch Caribbean.
On the islands, there had been an expectation that the portfolio would go to Democrats D66. The decision to assign the post to the VVD has therefore come as somewhat of an unpleasant surprise.
Within the Caribbean, there is limited confidence that VVD will take a constructive approach to Kingdom Relations, a sentiment that, according to critics, was not alleviated by Van den Burg’s earlier working visits to the islands during his tenure as State Secretary for Asylum and Migration.
In addition to Kingdom Relations, Van den Burg’s portfolio will also include responsibility for what is described as a “decisive and effective government”, further expanding his role within the Dutch cabinet.
The reaction from the Caribbean is shaped in part by recent history. After what many on the islands describe as a prolonged “ice age” in relations under former State Secretary Zsolt Szabo of the PVV —whose term was widely viewed as unsuccessful — expectations had risen that a change in political direction would bring improvement. Those hopes were further fuelled by D66’s strong showing in the elections.
Against that backdrop, the nomination of Van den Burg is being viewed with scepticism, as political leaders and observers in the Caribbean wait to see whether the new state secretary will adopt a more cooperative and balanced approach toward the overseas territories.
The Daily Herald.
