The way the AVP–FUTURO Government has handled both the 2026 Budget and the recent amendment to the LIM Law has generated serious concern across broad sectors of society. Especially during the month of December a period traditionally devoted to family, Christmas, and preparation for the new year,the Government chose to push through major financial and legislative decisions without sufficient public debate or in-depth analysis.
The handling of three consecutive budgets was compressed into a single day for each. In the case of the 2026 Budget, six ministerial portfolios were dealt with in a rushed manner, which does not reflect the level of professionalism and seriousness a country should apply when dealing with its most important financial document. As a result, the people of Aruba, who will live with the impact of these decisions throughout 2026, did not have the opportunity to follow the process with clarity and transparency. The procedure did not follow the normal practice of analyzing each portfolio in depth, which weakens Parliament’s role as a supervisory body.
Moreover, the budget meetings were held from early morning until late at night over several consecutive days. This not only places heavy pressure on members of parliament and ministers, but also affects the quality of debate and decision-making—an unhealthy situation for a functioning democracy.
One of the most critical issues is the amendment to the LIM Law. In this process, the Government chose to change the parliamentary procedure and bypass the formal advice of the Raad van Advies (Council of Advice). The Council of State expressed clear concerns about the content and legal implications of the law, but these warnings were not incorporated into the process. For many observers, this demonstrates a troubling lack of respect for the institutional mechanisms that protect the rule of law in Aruba.
The decisions surrounding the LIM Law fall directly under the responsibility of Prime Minister Mike Eman, who also holds the portfolio for Kingdom Relations. Given the sensitive nature of the law and its impact on the constitutional relationship between Aruba and the Kingdom, many experts and political analysts believe the process should have been handled with greater caution, dialogue, and respect for legal advice.
The way the AVP–FUTURO Government acted in the final month of the year raises serious questions about transparency, respect for Parliament, and the balance of power within Aruba’s democratic system. While citizens were preparing for a new year, the country entered 2026 with major decisions already taken, without many people having a clear understanding of how they were made or what their real impact will be.
Furthermore, the way the LIM Law was presented does not provide sufficient clarity regarding who is responsible for which portfolio. The practice of ministries shifting responsibilities among themselves without a clear legal basis creates institutional confusion and legal uncertainty—developments that can be dangerous for the functioning of a strong democracy.
Taken together, all these elements paint a worrying picture of governance and coordination within the AVP–FUTURO coalition, calling into question whether the current direction truly serves Aruba’s interests in stability, transparency, and democratic future. However, these efforts to gain access to all portfolios without following the LIM Law as required by law bear the names and family of the FUTURO party, Minister Gerlien Croes, and Minister Geoffrey Wever, who may be seeking more power than their three parliamentary seats entitle them to.
Despite the fact that Parliamentarian De Meza submitted an amendment to change the LIM Law an amendment that received majority support in Parliament the Government followed a different course and did not respect the amendment. Instead of implementing the approved change, they approved another version.
According to several political observers, this maneuver allowed the Government to avoid the effect of the amendment approved by Parliament, thereby bypassing the democratic will of the parliamentary majority. The way the LIM Law was reintroduced through the budget raises serious questions regarding transparency, separation of powers, and respect for parliamentary procedure.
The result is a confusing and legally vulnerable situation, where a formal change approved by Parliament is not reflected in the final law that governs the country. This mainly shifts responsibility away from the Prime Minister of Aruba and places it in the sports portfolio of Minister Gerlien Croes, breaking all existing legal frameworks and setting a poor political example for Aruba, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the world.
Several constitutional law experts warn that such a practice can weaken the rule of law and create a dangerous precedent for future legislative processes. This is a situation that Ministers Gerlien Croes and Geoffrey Wever of the FUTURO party are causing in Aruba’s rule of law.
