THE HAGUE – State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen expressed her regret over the fall of the cabinet but intends to continue working on what she describes as the issues related to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, even in a caretaker cabinet.

“The cabinet has fallen. Unfortunately, we were unable to bridge our substantive differences this week. And that is incredibly disappointing! Not least for the residents of the Caribbean islands and the digital challenges that I work on daily with all colleagues,” said Van Huffelen.

The caretaker state secretary said on her LinkedIn page that she looks back with satisfaction on what has been achieved for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom in the past 1.5 years.

“But the work is not done yet. Even in a caretaker cabinet, I want to make progress on many issues. Because the residents of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom and the challenges of including everyone in the digital world and making it reliable and safe do not have time to wait,” Van Huffelen added.

Praise

Although many residents of the Caribbean Netherlands were initially uncertain about what to expect from Alexandra van Huffelen, after one and a half years, she has received praise from many. Under the leadership of the D66 minister, various issues have made significant progress in a relatively short time compared to her predecessor, Raymond Knops (CDA). It was also noted that she actively sought dialogue with residents of the islands and was not afraid to be vulnerable.

Fancy footwork

A spontaneous dance with Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas of Curaçao, in which Van Huffelen showed that she definitely does not have the typical European “stiff hips,” won the hearts of many residents of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Despite her popularity on the islands, the Dutch press often has a noticeably negative view of the now caretaker state secretary.