During recent parliamentary sessions, the debate surrounding the performance of Minister Gerlien Croes was marked by severe criticism, with her conduct being compared to selling fish at a market. Parliament turned into a stage where the presentation of projects seemed more like a promotional effort to justify eight months in government, while even the blind could see and the deaf could hear that these projects were already ongoing and had reached the phase where any government would normally begin implementation.
From the outset, the AVP–FUTURO government was described as unstable. Nevertheless, it managed to present several projects without acknowledging the individuals who originally initiated them. As a result, according to the opposition, Minister Gerlien Croes is taking credit for the work of others. Many of these projects were already in preparation and formed part of a continuous governance process, and therefore cannot be attributed exclusively to the current period, but rather to previous governments.
Additionally, the financial space that now allows for the implementation of projects is the result of years of responsible financial management by former Minister of Finance, Xiomara Maduro. This explains how Aruba can count on sufficient budgetary capacity for investments in the 2026 budget.
At the end of the year, with only a few weeks remaining before the close of 2025, Parliament must address important legislation that will determine the direction of the country of Aruba. The first meeting focused on the LIM law, a proposal which, according to several official advisory bodies, contained deficiencies—particularly regarding the distribution of ministerial portfolios. Despite these warnings, the law was approved.
The second day of meetings involved a supplementary session, during which questions arose about a lack of transparency from Minister Croes. Parliamentarians indicated that the Minister does not always provide complete or timely information to Parliament, which serves as the democratic oversight body of the government. This was seen as a lack of respect for Parliament’s constitutional role and for the voters who elected their representatives.
Criticism was also raised regarding the obligation of transparency concerning official travel, which must be clearly justified as serving the interests of the people of Aruba. It is the duty of every politician to provide clarity, and in this case, Minister Gerlien Croes is failing to do so. It has been indicated that an official complaint has been submitted to the Public Prosecutor to investigate Minister Gerlien Croes, given her lack of transparency and the resulting doubts surrounding her integrity.
Finally, it was emphasized that governance is a continuous process and that national projects are the result of long-term planning, not the product of a few months in office. Nevertheless, the image remains of Minister Gerlien Croes spending three days in Parliament shouting like someone selling fish at the market.