THE HAGUE - In a 'framework agreement' reached by the Dutch parties PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, only one sentence is dedicated to the Kingdom relations: "The Netherlands considers the Caribbean part of the Kingdom to be valuable."
This brief mention is found in the agreement titled 'Hope, Courage, and Pride,' specifically in the chapter on 'Good Governance and a Strong Rule of Law.' The document, which spans 25 pages, does not reference the term 'public bodies' when listing decentralized governments. Although the Constitution is mentioned 13 times, the Charter for the Kingdom is notably absent. This omission may be due to the limited length of the agreement.
The development of a comprehensive government program is left to the forthcoming cabinet. From a Caribbean perspective, the most positive news might be the absence of Kingdom relations in the 'budgetary annex,' which outlines significant budget cuts totaling nearly 15 billion euros.
Informateur Richard van Zwol will continue his role as formateur, tasked with identifying potential ministers. While all parties involved deny that any names have been discussed at the negotiation table, former minister Ronald Plasterk appears to be a strong candidate for the position of prime minister. Van Zwol aims to complete the cabinet formation by the end of June.