Prime Minister Jetten on Bonaire: ‘The biggest problems are in housing, food and energy’

KRALENDIJK – Prime Minister Rob Jetten spent Tuesday during his working visit to Bonaire speaking extensively about climate change, poverty, infrastructure and the tense situation in the region. Notably, island governor John Soliano was absent during the press moment, despite his name having been listed on the official participants list in advance.

The visit got off to a turbulent start after Jetten ended up briefly in hospital in the morning due to an allergic reaction following a suspected jellyfish sting while swimming. Later in the day he resumed his programme and spoke with local media.

Climate ruling Greenpeace

During the press moment, Jetten was questioned about the criticism of the Dutch government’s decision to appeal the climate ruling in the Greenpeace case. Two years ago, Jetten visited Bonaire as Minister of Climate and Energy, where he explicitly spoke out in favour of protecting nature and the climate on the island.

According to the prime minister, climate change remains an important topic for the cabinet. "The Caribbean islands are confronted with climate change in a different way than the Netherlands, through increasingly severe weather," said Jetten. He argued that Bonaire and the Netherlands must continue to invest together in resilience, sustainable energy and preparation for extreme weather.

He did not address the question of how he personally feels about the Dutch government’s appeal against the ruling.

Venezuela

The situation surrounding Venezuela also came up. Jetten acknowledged that developments in the region are being closely monitored and that discussions are taking place within Europe about the diplomatic relationship with Venezuela.

"We are doing this truly in a European context," said the prime minister. "There are still quite a few sanctions from Europe on the regime and diplomatic relations remain limited."

According to Jetten, Europe is looking critically at developments surrounding democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela before further steps are taken. "As the EU, we want to know what Venezuela intends to do in the coming period to prepare for fair elections and to restore greater freedom to opposition parties, media and other organisations."

At the same time, he acknowledged that tensions in the region are felt directly on Bonaire, referring to concerns about energy supply and strategic reserves in the Caribbean.

Cost of living

The prime minister also spoke at length about the major differences in basic financial security between Bonaire and European Netherlands. CBS figures from 2022 show that over 23 percent of Bonaire’s residents live in poverty. Jetten said it is precisely those conversations that affect him most during his visit.

"The biggest problems really lie in the costs of travel, food, housing and energy," said the prime minister. According to him, working visits teach the cabinet that solutions devised in The Hague do not always match the reality on the islands. "I really think that during a working visit here you arrive at different solutions than what we would come up with in The Hague."

Infrastructure on Bonaire

The poor state of Bonaire’s infrastructure was also discussed. Jetten was asked what it was like to drive "over the worst roads in the Netherlands." The prime minister acknowledged that there is still much work to be done and pointed to the shared responsibility of both The Hague and the local government. He also cited housing projects in which infrastructure is directly incorporated as positive examples.

Despite the medical scare in the morning, Jetten wrapped up his visit visibly relieved. "This morning I was really very well looked after there," he said of his brief stay in hospital.