CDA, D66 and CU make turn: For the time being no social minimum on BES islands

September 26, 2018 News

For the time being, no minimum social minimum is set for the Caribbean Netherlands. CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie went through the knees for coalition partner VVD who feels nothing for pulling a poverty line on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba where almost half of the population has insufficient income to make ends meet for the month.

State Secretary Van Ark today received support from the government parties not to establish a social minimum for the Dutch Caribbean.

Two years ago, the Lower House, except for the VVD and the PVV, voted for a motion in which the government was asked to investigate the cost of living and on that basis to define a living income. Now that CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie are in the government, they suddenly do not need it anymore. Today they turned against a motion of the SP and GroenLinks to the same effect as in 2016, which the three parties were still very enthusiastic about then.

Co-sponsor Ronald van Raak (SP) accused them of breaking the promise they made two years ago to the inhabitants of the Caribbean Netherlands. The government parties themselves also introduced a number of motions which, in comparison with the seriousness and scale of poverty, hardly put a lot of effort. The motions will be voted on Tuesday.

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