Parliamentarian Eduard Pieters of the PPA faction delivered a clear and unambiguous message on his first day of official meetings in The Hague: Aruba must not accept the Rijkswet HOFA law and will not accept the weakening of its Status Aparte. During a key encounter with Don Ceder of ChristenUnie, PPA presented its “position paper,” exposing not only the political risks of HOFA but also its background: a process that, according to Pieters, has been pushed for more than 10 years by the authorities in The Hague with the sole goal of weakening Aruba’s autonomy.
HOFA is not a coincidence, but an age-old process
According to Pieters, the discussion of HOFA did not begin today. “There have been more than 10 years of attempts to introduce some instrument that limits our autonomy,” he explained. After COVID, the pressure intensified. And according to PPA, the pandemic was used as an instrument of pressure and political manipulation. “This is not just financial supervision! This influences our sovereignty,” Pieters emphasized.
Change of position: politics without principle
At the meeting, PPA also raised a sensitive political point: the drastic change of position of the parties in Aruba. Throughout Aruba, it is well known that AVP strongly indicated they were against Rijkswet, but since forming the government, they turned around and became pro Rijkswet. The MEP party was the government that signed the famous “bestuurlijk akkoord” and is now against HOFA. “So the conclusion is worrying,” Pieters said. “Politics should not be guided by convenience, but by principle.” According to PPA, this shows external pressure and the dynamics of coalition distort the decisions that affect the country’s future.
Aruba is not a financial problem anymore
One of the strongest points PPA made forward is that Aruba is not a financial risk, as the national debt has fallen from 117% to 70%, the economy shows growth, and surplus has been registered. “If we are doing well, why does the Netherlands insist on a Rijkswet?” Pieters questioned. This was the central question in the dialogue with Don Ceder.
Real alternative: supervision in our own law
PPA is NOT against supervision. On the contrary. “We want financial responsibility,” Pieters clarified. “But supervision must be anchored in our own Staatsregeling.” Solution? Create a begrotingskamer with strong but local control for transparency without losing autonomy. This gives the Netherlands security and guarantees, without sacrificing Aruba’s unique position in the Kingdom.
An unfair deal
Another crucial point was the interest on the COVID loan. Aruba pays 6.9%, while other countries in the Kingdom pay around 3.2%–3.4%. PPA proposed a pragmatic solution: lower the rent/interest to a comparable level or maintain the 6.9% and use the difference (3.4-6.9 = 3.5%) to create an investment fund for Aruba. “We are prepared to pay, but not to accept an unfair deal,” Pieters declared.
A call for unity in a National Front
One of the strongest messages that emerged from the meeting was the great need for unity. Don Ceder also emphasized the importance for Aruba to present unity. “We must go to The Hague not as separate parties, but as one people,” Pieters emphasized.
Aruba must stand firm
The first day in The Hague confirmed one thing: The fight to protect Status Aparte is more relevant than ever. PPA is marching and speaking a direct message: not to HOFA, not to weakening autonomy, and yes to responsibility, but under our own laws. “Aruba is not against cooperation nor financial supervision,” Pieters concluded. “But cooperation cannot mean we surrender a historic struggle for our self-determination.”
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