THE HAGUE – The Dutch government plans to expand research and knowledge about major unresolved issues within the Kingdom, including what it explicitly describes as the “democratic deficit.”
The subject appears in the Strategic Evaluation Agenda attached to the proposed 2027 Kingdom Relations budget.
The Netherlands says it wants to strengthen the Caribbean scientific and knowledge base by working more closely with research institutions, scientific organizations and the High Councils of State.
Among the major issues identified for further study are the social minimum, the democratic deficit and underlying social questions affecting the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
The democratic deficit has been a recurring point of debate in relations between Curaçao and the Netherlands because Kingdom-level decisions can directly affect Curaçao while democratic representation at that level differs significantly from representation within the individual countries.
The budget does not propose a specific constitutional solution to that issue.
Instead, the government says it wants to improve the knowledge available for policymaking and increase the Caribbean scientific knowledge base.
A broader periodic review covering rule of law, socioeconomic development and financial relations is planned for 2029. That study will combine evaluations and monitoring covering the 2024-2028 policy period.