"If a Martian were asked to classify planet Earth in a logical way, he would not come to the Kingdom of the Netherlands," said the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Ronald Plasterk, to the Dutch Parliament in 2013.
And indeed: the Kingdom is artificially illogical and therefore complicated. Four countries, three of which, despite their autonomous status, have to do what the largest thinks are good for them and then there are three special mini-municipalities in the Caribbean whose inhabitants, while enjoying a more pleasant climate, do not have the same (human) rights like their fellow countrymen on the North Sea.
The vast majority of European Dutch people have no idea how the Kingdom works. At school it is not explained and media (apart from a positive exception) assume (presumably not wrongly) that the Kingdom does not interest their readers. For the average Dutchman, what travel organizations say about the holiday pleasure that the islands offer is sufficient.
However, you can expect from European Dutch ministers that they do delve into kingdom relations. After all, since 10-10-10 they are just as responsible for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba in their policy area as they are for Schiermonnikoog, Zoutelande and Klazienaveen. Still it is a struggle for (some) ministers, as was shown again this week during a debate about making aviation more sustainable.
Member of the Second Chamber of Parliament Jan Paternotte (D66) challenged the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Cora van Nieuwenhuizen to subject the domestic flights between Schiphol and Bonaire to national climate targets. The minister said she cannot just promise that; To do this, they must first consult with the other three countries in the Dutch Caribbean and they have, they added, their own powers.
Paternotte could not let that go, because he is also chairman of the Chamber Committee for Kingdom Relations: “By Caribbean Netherlands we do not mean another country, but our three special Dutch municipalities Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba that fall under your own responsibility," He gave the minister a crash course on political relations.
Just in time: in two weeks Van Nieuwenhuizen will pay a working visit to the Caribbean Netherlands.
