In 2018, the Dutch government took unprecedented action on the Caribbean island Sint Eustatius, a Dutch overseas territory operating at the level of municipality. The national Government dissolved the Island Council and appointed a Government Commissioner. This Commissioner was to oversee the administration as stated within the new law ‘Wet Herstel Voorzieningen’.
The decision aimed to bring about reforms to the island’s governance, public finances, and other sectors, including education, healthcare, and infrastructure. The move was met with mixed reactions, with some supporting it as a necessary step to address the island’s challenges, while others criticized it as a serious infringement on local autonomy and democratic self-governance.
Since the intervention, Sint Eustatius has witnessed a series of changes and initiatives aimed at its governance structures. The Island Council was reinstated in 2020 and the Executive Council in 2022, making for a gradual transition back to local decision-making. Still, the ‘Wet Herstel Voorzieningen’ and its related processes continue to bring tensions and strain the relationship between the Dutch Government and representatives of Sint Eustatius.
Since 2021, NIMD has been supporting the island’s return to its local decision-making structures and aims to strengthen its democratic system and culture. To reach these goals, NIMD explicitly recognizes the need to work with both the local and national level. This is why NIMD collaborates closely with the Sint Eustatius Island Council, Executive Commissioners and Government Commissioners, as well as the Dutch Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations. Sustainable democratic strengthening needs to go hand in hand with mutual respect on both sides, and due consideration of the differences between Caribbean and European Dutch societies, as well as the Dutch colonial history in the region.