THE HAGUE – Controversial remarks made by Dutch MP Thierry Baudet about the Caribbean part of the Kingdom have ignited widespread outrage, both in the Netherlands and across the islands. During a parliamentary committee debate in The Hague, the leader of the far-right Forum for Democracy party proposed sending “hundreds of thousands of Dutch people” to the Caribbean in order to “fully make it ours.”
The Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Luc Mercelina, condemned Baudet’s comments as “dangerous, racist, and disrespectful.”
Baudet made the remarks during a discussion on economic opportunities in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. According to him, the Netherlands should feel proud of the territories. “We used to be rulers of the world,” he said. Among his proposals were redirecting all asylum applications to Saba and building a housing tower for refugees there, establishing a new economic zone, and even relocating nearly half a million Dutch nationals to Sint Maarten.
The statements left other members of parliament visibly stunned. Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Beljaarts and State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Szolt Zsabó both emphasized the autonomy of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. “These islands are self-governing countries and far too small for such large-scale plans,” said Beljaarts. “It would be inappropriate for us to even consider these ideas without their involvement.”
“Colonial Fantasy”
Prime Minister Mercelina responded forcefully on Thursday, calling Baudet’s proposal a “colonial fantasy filled with racial superiority, demographic manipulation, and imperialist nostalgia.” He stated that such ideas belong “in the darkest chapters of our shared history – not in the democratic institutions of the 21st century.”
Baudet also faced criticism from GroenLinks-PvdA MP Raoul White, who questioned the impact such a plan would have on the island populations. Baudet responded by claiming that relocation of people is “always the case with major projects for a higher purpose.”
During the debate, Baudet further suggested that Dutch companies could move to the islands to exploit natural resources, such as oil, in the regions around Venezuela and Suriname. “We could create something wonderful there,” he stated.
The backlash underscores growing tensions around the Kingdom’s post-colonial relationships and highlights how sensitive issues of autonomy, identity, and respect remain in the modern political discourse.