WILLEMSTAD – Sixteen years after Curaçao became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, political leaders used the anniversary of 10-10-10 to look beyond the constitutional achievement and focus on a more difficult question: what should autonomy deliver for the next generation?
Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas and the faction leaders of MFK, PNP and PAR approached the issue from different political perspectives during the Dia di Pais Kòrsou celebrations, but their remarks centered heavily on living standards, opportunities for young people, housing and the need for economic progress to reach the population.
MFK faction leader David Seferina described Curaçao as a house passed from one generation to another.
According to Seferina, Curaçao received the keys to its own house on October 10, 2010, but obtaining those keys was only the beginning of the responsibility that came with autonomous status.
Each generation, he said, has an obligation to preserve what works, repair what does not and continue building a society that offers opportunities to those who come afterward.
Seferina identified employment, affordable housing, quality education and strong and fair institutions as essential elements of that responsibility.
He also argued that political differences should not obscure the fact that Curaçao's interests extend beyond individual parties, governments and political terms.
PNP faction leader Sheldry Osepa offered a more critical assessment of the past 16 years.
According to Osepa, the promise behind the constitutional changes of October 10, 2010 was that greater autonomy would lead to improved well-being, greater economic security and prosperity for Curaçao's population.
Sixteen years later, he said, many residents continue to struggle to make ends meet, while young people returning from their studies can encounter difficulties finding employment and housing has become unaffordable for many families.
Osepa also questioned the distribution of Curaçao's growing tax revenues. He argued that while government revenues are increasing, substantial groups within society are seeing relatively little benefit from the country's economic progress.
The PNP leader called for a fairer tax system that does not place most of the burden on employees. He also raised the issue of people without valid residency status who, according to him, remain outside the tax system.
PAR faction leader Quincy Girigorie similarly questioned whether Curaçao's economic gains are sufficiently reflected in household finances.
Girigorie acknowledged the country's stronger financial position and economic growth but argued that favorable economic statistics can obscure continuing poverty, household debt, low wages and rising housing costs.
Prime Minister Pisas, meanwhile, presented economic independence as an important next stage in Curaçao's development.
Speaking under the theme "Caribbean United in Excellence," Pisas said autonomy should mean more than having political authority over the country's own affairs. Curaçao, he argued, should also become increasingly capable of standing on its own financially and economically while ensuring that its residents share in the resulting prosperity.
He cited 5.1 percent economic growth last year, recent budget surpluses and progress in reducing public debt, while also acknowledging that approximately 30 percent of the population remains below the poverty line.
His government plans to submit a new poverty reduction strategy to the Council of Ministers this month, followed by implementation in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Pisas has identified 2030, when Curaçao will celebrate 20 years as an autonomous country, as the next major milestone.
The political discussion surrounding this year's anniversary suggests that the debate over autonomy is increasingly shifting from what Curaçao achieved constitutionally in 2010 to what the country can demonstrate socially and economically by 2030.
For the next four years, the challenge will be whether stronger economic growth and government finances can be translated into affordable housing, employment, income security and greater opportunities for the population as a whole.