During his official mission to The Hague, Member of Parliament Eduard Pieters took the opportunity to send a clear, firm, and unambiguous message: Aruba believes strongly in cooperation within the Dutch Kingdom, but will not accept a situation where, step by step, its autonomy is limited under the guise of “supervision” while the essence of its democracy is undermined.
HOFA is Not a Technical Law, But a Shift in Power In his meetings with key representatives of Kingdom institutions, Pieters presented the PPA faction’s position regarding the HOFA Kingdom Act. This law, according to him, carries not only technical-financial implications but could result in a structural shift in the balance of power between Aruba and the Netherlands. This would have long-term consequences for the country’s autonomy and self-determination. Pieters emphasized that this discussion cannot be reduced to a technical or administrative matter; it touches upon Aruba’s fundamental right to manage its own finances and make decisions for its own people without disproportionate outside interference.
We Don’t Need a Kingdom Act: We Have Our Own Solution The PPA’s position is definitive: Aruba is not against supervision, but is against imposition without real consensus and without respect for the democratic process—a process the current ministers themselves once stood for and fought to protect. As a concrete alternative, Pieters again proposes a Budget Chamber (begrotingskamer) anchored in Aruba’s own Constitution (Staatsregeling). This would be a serious and structural mechanism providing guarantees for financial control within a framework where responsibility remains in Aruba’s hands, rather than being transferred to the Kingdom level without sufficient local legitimacy.
If Aruba Complies, Why Punish Us With More Control? This argument is reinforced by Aruba’s current financial reality. Despite global economic pressures, the country has managed to significantly lower its debt-to-GDP ratio and continues to work on public finances with discipline. “We are showing that we can manage our finances responsibly,” Pieters underlined, “yet we face a proposal that could limit our freedom of action. That should make us reflect very seriously.” The central question is inevitable: if Aruba is complying and showing progress, why is there a need for more external control?
Without Aruba’s Voice, Others Will Decide For Us During the conversations, it became evident that the legislative process is not yet finalized, as the Council of State still must issue its advice and the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) will eventually make the final decision. Because of this, Pieters emphasized the importance of Aruba’s active presence in The Hague; without a strong and consistent participation, the narrative will be defined by others.
Now is the Moment to Stand Firm or Lose What We Have Won For the PPA faction, this is not just another dossier; it is a crucial turning point that will determine how Aruba’s autonomy is protected in the future. “We did not fight for Status Aparte only to hand it back little by little, step by step,” Pieters concluded firmly. “Autonomy is non-negotiable, and we have a responsibility to defend it with conviction.”