KRALENDIJK - The new political party Animo wants to participate in the island council elections of March 2027 with at least fifteen candidates. The party has not yet revealed who will be on the candidate list. The election program is also still being prepared. Animo aims to present it before the end of 2026, but no later than before carnival.
Animo stands for Alternativa Nobo, Integro, Moderno i Orguyoso. The party was founded by eight people, including former deputy Nina den Heyer and windsurfer Taty Frans. Not all founders will run as candidates. According to Den Heyer, some will focus entirely on party organization.
"We also want to have committees that deal with specific themes and topics," says Den Heyer. The party wants to engage with residents, organizations, foundations, ministries, and the neighboring islands. "Not just about what the issues are, but more importantly: what do they see as possible solutions?"
No wild promises
According to Den Heyer, the party program must be as concrete and well-developed as possible. "We want to focus very strongly on results. That means we will not make promises that cannot be kept. No big, extreme, or wild ideas, but getting the crucial issues in order."
With this, Animo wants to distinguish itself from parties and politicians who try to win votes with popular statements. "The more populist the things you shout and the wilder the ideas, if you have not done your research and cannot show how something can be put into practice, then it is pointless."
Den Heyer believes that politics on Bonaire has been stuck in deliberation and internal divisions for too long. "A lot has been said and less action has been taken. Sometimes not even because the idea is bad, but because it came from someone you do not like. We need to move away from that."
Program before carnival
Animo aims to publish its election program at the end of 2026, or otherwise in January 2027. The party does not want to wait until just before the elections - something that happened frequently with other political parties in the past.
Den Heyer does not mind if other parties adopt proposals from Animo. "If they take ideas from it and include them in their own party program, then apparently we all agree it is important. It does not matter who does it, as long as it gets done."
Den Heyer is not yet willing to reveal the names of the candidates. According to her, potential candidates must first be properly prepared for the consequences of a political career.
"You will have to make sacrifices. In some cases you will take a pay cut and your privacy disappears. There will be pressure on you, but also on your family. Your household needs to be prepared for this too."
Costs must come down
When asked about some of the major problems on Bonaire, Den Heyer says that Animo does not only want to look at higher incomes, but especially at lowering the cost of living.
"Wages need to go up, people keep saying. But we have been seeing for several years now that when wages go up, costs go up too. We therefore need to pay more attention to lowering costs. We also need to make that clear to The Hague."
She acknowledges that Bonaire is heavily dependent on developments outside the island due to the import of goods. "I am aware that it will not be easy. But we must keep in mind that things cannot continue this way with all these price increases."
Den Heyer also believes that equal provisions within the Netherlands should be pursued. According to her, this does not mean that measures on Bonaire must be exactly the same as in the European Netherlands.
"It does not have to be exactly the same method, but the result you want to achieve must be equal. If the Netherlands takes a measure to solve a particular problem, that same principle must apply here too."
Stalled housing market
The stalled housing market also came up during the conversation. Den Heyer sees a particular problem with homes being bought by people who do not come to live on Bonaire and instead rent the property to tourists or temporary residents.
"There are ways to prevent or make this more difficult. In various municipalities, for example, we see an owner-occupancy requirement. There are methods or barriers that you can put in place as an island."
She also points to the limited financing options of the housing corporation. "Here, the housing corporation has to go to commercial banks. That makes housing construction considerably more expensive. On top of that, the public entity itself is not allowed to borrow money or act as a guarantor."
No simple solution for leasehold
Regarding the slow processing of leasehold and permit applications, Den Heyer warns that a new deputy cannot solve the problem within a few months.
"Year after year, new deputies get to work with great energy and good intentions. But somehow it still does not happen."
According to her, it must first become clear where the process is getting stuck. "Are applications being submitted that are incomplete? Or are applications being left to gather dust somewhere? That needs to become clear. After that, you have to be honest: is this working or not, can the people handle it or is extra manpower needed?"
The internal organization of the Public Entity Bonaire must also be examined, she says. She is not immediately calling for a major reorganization. "We need to look at each department to see whether it functions with the people and work processes we currently have. How can we improve that?"
Bonaire cannot solve the waste problem alone
On the problems with waste processor Selibon and the Lagun landfill, Den Heyer is clear. "Bonaire cannot solve this alone. We need outside help, both financially and in terms of expertise."
According to her, the islands do not have all the necessary specialists themselves. "In fact, I do not think any of the six islands can do this alone. Waste is a problem on all the islands. We need to acknowledge that together."
No seat forecast yet
Den Heyer does not want to predict how many seats Animo can win. She hopes for enough support to be able to exert influence. Participation in an executive council is not ruled out, but a place in the coalition is not a goal in itself according to her.
"The goal is that we can do what we say and what we want to do. If a coalition comes about in which we already know we cannot deliver on what we promised the people, then we do not need to join that coalition at any cost."
