THE HAGUE – Distinguished professor of Kingdom Relations, Wouter Veenendaal, is advocating for structural solutions to address the unequal power dynamics within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In his inaugural lecture on March 10, he will call for greater political representation for the Caribbean territories and propose a governance model that better aligns with their realities. Over the coming years, Veenendaal will conduct research on democratic reforms and work towards enhancing knowledge and cooperation between the Netherlands and the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.
Parliamentary Representation and Comparative Research
One of his key proposals is to expand the Dutch House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) with three Caribbean seats, ensuring direct parliamentary representation for the islands. Additionally, he plans to conduct comparative research on other autonomous territories, such as Greenland and Guadeloupe, to analyze how democratic representation is structured in similar contexts.
Governance Challenges in the Caribbean
According to Veenendaal, the combination of small-scale communities and a Dutch governance model results in democratic shortcomings within the Caribbean territories. While close-knit societies create direct relationships between politicians and voters, they also lead to a political landscape dominated by a small number of influential families.
"Many island residents feel like second-class citizens," Veenendaal states, pointing to the structural inequalities within the Kingdom. Officially, the four constituent countries (the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten) are considered equal, but in practice, the Netherlands holds the most power.
He highlights the imbalance within the Kingdom Council of Ministers (Rijksministerraad), which makes decisions for all four countries but is only accountable to the Dutch Parliament. Additionally, laws passed in the Netherlands often apply to the Caribbean territories without any direct input from Caribbean citizens.
Knowledge Center for Democratic Development
To enhance understanding of these issues and propose viable solutions, Veenendaal is prioritizing collaboration with Caribbean universities and scholars. He is recruiting three local research assistants and is actively involved in the establishment of a knowledge center focused on democratic citizenship.
Veenendaal also stresses that awareness of Kingdom relations is lacking in the Netherlands. A recent public opinion survey conducted under his supervision revealed that only 25% of 3,000 Dutch respondents were familiar with the subject.
"I hope my research and professorship contribute to greater knowledge and mutual understanding on both sides of the ocean, because this is urgently needed," Veenendaal affirms.