The Dutch far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) has renewed its call for Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten to become fully independent from the Netherlands. During a parliamentary debate on the Kingdom’s future, PVV Member of Parliament Peter van Haasen argued that as long as the Caribbean countries rely on Dutch financial support, the Netherlands should maintain oversight of their governance. He added that true self-determination would only be possible if the islands followed Suriname’s example of independence in 1975.
Led by Geert Wilders, the PVV has consistently promoted severing constitutional ties with the three Caribbean countries. However, no steps were taken during the period when former PVV member Zsolt Szabó briefly served as State Secretary for Kingdom Relations.
The debate also caused some confusion when GroenLinks-PvdA MP Raoul White questioned why the islands should receive more autonomy and compared them to the Dutch Wadden Islands. Van Haasen clarified that his proposal was not for increased autonomy but for complete independence.
Although the PVV’s call highlights its desire to fundamentally reshape Kingdom relations, there appears to be little support from other parties in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the governments of Curaçao, Aruba, and St. Maarten have not expressed any intention to pursue independence.
