WILLEMSTAD – Member of the European Parliament Marit Maij of GroenLinks-PvdA has paid an introductory and working visit to Curaçao, aimed at deepening mutual understanding between the island and the European Union.
During her stay, Maij held discussions with a range of civil society organizations and institutions that work with EU funding. She also met with members of the Curaçao Parliament and other representatives, and conducted an in-depth meeting with Minister of Justice Shalten Hato.
The talks with the justice minister focused on the relationship between the justice sector and the European Union, and on ways to further strengthen and deepen cooperation in the future. Issues such as migration, shared regional challenges, and the importance of more structured and sustainable collaboration between Curaçao, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the EU were discussed at length. Particular attention was given to Curaçao’s specific context and the need for European cooperation to be better aligned with the realities of small island jurisdictions.
Maij was accompanied during her visit by her colleague Kenville Kleinmoedig, who is from Curaçao and was a candidate in the most recent European Parliament elections.
According to those involved, the visit formed part of broader efforts to ensure that Curaçao’s perspectives and challenges are more clearly reflected in European policymaking, especially in areas where EU rules, funding mechanisms, and regional cooperation intersect with the interests of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.