In the context of the ongoing debates regarding constitutional relations, the State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, Eric van der Burg, reinforced the stance that, according to the Charter (Statuut), all four countries hold the same legal and formal status. The official clarified his position after receiving an official request, emphasizing the equality that must exist between Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands.
According to Van der Burg, this principle of equality is not a personal opinion, but a stipulated constitutional reality. “I always insist on this, not because it is my own thought, but because it is stipulated as such in the Charter; we are dealing with four equal countries within the Kingdom,” the official declared, referring to the historic constitutional change on October 10, 2010 (10-10-’10).
From Past Relations to the Metaphor of “Equal Siblings”
The structure of the Kingdom has evolved over the recent decades. Van der Burg recalled that prior to the year 2010, the relationship was much closer between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba (which acquired its Status Aparte in 1986, commemorating 40 years of this historic achievement this year). However, with the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, the landscape changed radically.
To illustrate the current equality, the Dutch official used the metaphor of “sisters” (zussen), categorically rejecting a paternalistic view of the relationship:
• The Netherlands does not act as the “mother” to the three Caribbean countries.
• Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands operate on the same formal and legal level.
• None of the four countries holds a superior or privileged position over the others.
“Describing Reality Without Giving Offense”
Responding to criticisms or questioning regarding his statements, Eric van der Burg explained that his intention is simply to describe the legal reality without falling into unnecessary political games.
“I do not know why, if I say that the sun rises in the morning and sets in the afternoon, I should have to apologize. I am describing something that is factually reality,” the State Secretary emphasized.
According to the official, the true offense would be to maintain the old discourse where the Netherlands is assumed to be the “mother country” and the islands the “children.” By ratifying the equality in the Charter, the Dutch representative argued that this situation must be respected in all aspects of political cooperation and during ongoing working visits.
Eric van der Burg: “The Netherlands is not the mother; we are four equal siblings in the Kingdom”
