THE HAGUE - The search for a Representative of the Netherlands for Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten, based in Willemstad, has been going on for over a year and a half and is starting to resemble a soap opera.
Without officially announcing it, the bureaucratic leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations, with the approval of State Secretary Van Huffelen, has decided to appoint Saskia de Reuver as an interim observer. She will combine this role with her current position as Director of Kingdom Relations for the CAS countries.
In December 2021, the General Administrative Service - specialized in filling crucial vacancies within the government - started the recruitment process for Erwin Arkenbout's successor, whose term had come to an end. Allegedly, a few interested candidates who met the requirements responded, but they were dismissed because Van Huffelen seemed to prefer a candidate from the Caribbean.
In March, the ministry reported that a suitable candidate had been selected, but the appointment was still pending "screening." The delay in making the final appointment was attributed to the required "carefulness" due to the position being a "sensitive position of trust." However, now that four months have passed since then, this explanation has lost its credibility.
This weekend, the following text appeared on LinkedIn: "Congratulate Saskia for starting a new position as Acting Representative of the Netherlands for Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten." In response to questions from the editorial team, a spokesperson for the ministry stated that the acting role is only for the summer period and that "the regular procedure continues."
The ministry's response does not address whether the candidate selected in March did not pass the screening or withdrew from the process, nor does it explain why the appointment of De Reuver was not officially announced in the usual manner. De Reuver herself has not responded to questions about whether she will commute between her workplace in The Hague and the office of the Representation in Willemstad.
Everything seems to indicate that this is an emergency measure, but the reasons behind it remain unclear. It is worth noting that De Reuver combining her new role with being the Director of Kingdom Relations is not unprecedented. In 2018, Henk Brons did the same but in the reverse direction. As the Representative of the Netherlands in Willemstad, he also acted as the Director of Kingdom Relations. He faced controversy after it was revealed that he received a 40,000-euro foreign allowance for 16 days of presence in Curaçao.
On the Representation's website, Arkenbout is still listed as the Representative, even though he left the position a year ago.