The Aruban delegation is currently in The Hague, Netherlands, to attend the IPKO (Interparlementair Koninkrijksoverleg) meetings, where the Parliaments of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands meet to discuss various topics of common interest. At the end of each meeting, an agreement list, known as the “afsprakenlijst”, will be signed.
A Closed-Door Meeting with Eric van der Burg
Member of Parliament Endy Croes of the MEP Faction considers the current State Secretary, Eric van der Burg, to be a Dutch coward, and he explains why.
All IPKO meetings were public and broadcast live on the platforms of the Tweede Kamer (Dutch House of Representatives). Last Saturday, the meetings continued from the morning in the Tweede Kamer. Unfortunately, after midday—at 3:30 PM to be exact—when a meeting with State Secretary Eric van der Burg was on the agenda, the setting was changed to an informative session behind closed doors, which was not allowed to be broadcast.
To make matters worse, Eric van der Burg came to tell beautiful stories about his visits to Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, bringing along a moderator from the Eerste Kamer (Dutch Senate) with a show and pre-designed questions for himself.
At a certain point, Parliamentarians Tevreden, Rocco Tjon, and myself started asking tough questions about HOFA, which did not sit well and could not be answered. At the same time, Eric asked Aruba to “stop” making Americans rich with the interest that Aruba pays in the US. Immediately, we were asked by the moderator to stop asking questions about HOFA, as that session was purely informative and not a debate, let alone about HOFA. The entire room was left stunned.
MP Endy Croes Calls on the Netherlands to Look in the Mirror
Croes slammed State Secretary Eric van der Burg, questioning how it is possible that Eric keeps repeating that we are “four equal sisters” (vier gelijke zusters) while treating Aruba differently.
What does Eric think about the fact that during the pandemic, the Netherlands gave Aruba a punitive interest rate of 6.9%, while Curaçao and Sint Maarten were blessed with much lower interest rates?
What can Eric answer regarding the fact that the Netherlands paid 4 billion florins (€1.8 billion) of the national debt for Curaçao and Sint Maarten for them to accept the Kingdom Act (Rijkswet), while they are pushing Aruba into a Kingdom Act without offering anything in return?
Croes also stated in the room that Aruba is not asking the Netherlands to pay its debt; we are proud and we pay our own debt, but we do want equal treatment regarding the lowest interest rate without it being tied to a Kingdom Act.
Furthermore, the minister was asked how it is possible that the Netherlands gives €6.2 billion every year in development aid to countries outside the Kingdom as a gift. How is it possible that the Netherlands contributed €18 billion to EU funds, which went as a “COVID gift” to countries like Italy, Spain, and France without any conditions? Croes concluded by asking Eric why Aruba has to be treated this way.
Eric van der Burg did not answer a single question and immediately moved on to another topic. Therefore, MP Endy Croes of the MEP faction considers State Secretary Eric van der Burg to be a very cowardly Dutchman. Is this truly the equal treatment that Eric van der Burg constantly mentions when he says we treat each other like “four equal sisters”? I leave the answer open for the people to fill in themselves!
MEP Faction in the Netherlands: No Answers Regarding HOFA! Dutch State Secretary Eric van der Burg Is a Coward
