The Dutch government wants to apologize for slavery. But this belated step has caused a fierce controversy.
I believe the wrong kind of apology was Surinamese representatives of bereaved families in The Hague Photo: image
AMSTERDAM cup | December 19 will go down in Dutch history: for the first time, the government wants to apologize for the role played by the Netherlands in transatlantic slavery. A corresponding plan was announced in November. Prime Minister Mark Rutte declined to confirm this until the weekend. What is certain, however, is that he will officially respond to an investigative report on the Dutch role in the slave trade at the National Archives in The Hague this afternoon. In this context, an apology is expected.
“A painful, important and underexposed part of our history”
Rutte is not the only cabinet member on this mission. Franc Weerwind, minister of legal protection, is expected in Paramaribo, capital of the former colony of Suriname, the minister of social affairs Karien van Gennip on the Antilles island of Bonaire, the minister of health Ernst Kuipers in Sint Maarten. In addition, four state secretaries travel to Aruba, Curaçao, Saba and Sint Eustatius.
About 550,000 slaves from West Africa were brought to America on Dutch ships. The former colony of Indonesia, where the Netherlands also traded in slaves, is not part of the plan.
The background is that in the coming year the abolition of slavery will be commemorated on a large scale. As one of the last European colonial powers, the Netherlands decided this in 1863. However, the former slaves actually only became free in 1873 – 150 years ago. Let it begin Year of remembrance on July 1stthe day of remembrance Keti Koti (Broken Chains). “The past of slavery is a very painful, important and until recently underestimated part of our history,” said the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The memorial year aims to “increase knowledge and connection in society for the long term”.
The seventeenth century gold
In fact, one’s role in colonialism and slavery hasn’t been an issue in the Netherlands for a long time. This aspect has never played a role in the distorted image of an allegedly progressive model society that has existed for a long time, especially in Germany. From an international perspective, the fact that people in this country referred to the “golden” 17th century without any thoughts of slavery and colonial exploitation faded behind the cliché of the multicultural and liberal model country.
In recent years, however, things have moved. The annual Keti Koti commemoration is televised live and takes up much more space in public discourse. The question of an apology comes up regularly in this context. The four largest cities – Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht – have taken this step in the last year and a half.
The “Shackles of the Past” report, presented by a government-commissioned expert commission in 2021, was decisive. Among other things, it recommends that the Netherlands apologize for its role during slavery. To date, the governing conservative parties VVD and CDA have opposed this step, while the liberal D66 and the social-Calvinist ChristenUnie are in favor. Prime Minister Rutte’s speech, expected in The Hague on Monday afternoon, is officially seen as the cabinet’s reaction to this report.
For July 1st
Since the plans were disclosed, it has become clear on what sensitive social terrain the talk is taking place. Several organizations in Suriname and the Antilles criticize that they were not involved in the planning, that the government rushed and unilaterally pushed its agenda without considering the interests of the descendants of slaves. They also consider July 1 a more suitable day. The National Slavery Memorial Committee of Suriname is also asking for it.
Several meetings between representatives of these organizations and the government took place in the late autumn. The moat, however, did not shrink. Six foundations, including “Eer en Herstel”, tried in early December to obtain an injunction to delay the apology. The lawsuit was filed before a full courtroom in The Hague – reasoning: It’s an ethical issue and not a legal one. The foundations involved now do not want to accept the apology. Sint Maarten Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs also announced it over the weekend.
Support for the apology has increased in Dutch society over the past two years. According to the opinion research institute I&O at the beginning of 2021, 31% of respondents were in favor and 55% against. In November 2022 it was 38:49%. The difference is explained by a shift in awareness among the non-immigrant population.
This in turn is alluded to by Prime Minister Rutte, who wants to stick to the calendar of quick apologies: now we have a social wing and we need to act before it disappears again. He is therefore targeting right-wing populist Partij voor de Vrijheid’s agitation against an apology. On social media, identity users are also conjuring up a reparations scenario as the population groans under energy costs and inflation. Rutte, on the other hand, has clarified several times that there is no mention of compensation.
