THE HAGUE--The Dutch House of Representatives has approved legislation to increase the number of Island Council members and executive council members in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, a move intended to strengthen local democracy and improve administrative capacity in the three Caribbean public entities.
The bill, known as the Increase Act, was adopted by a large majority and will now be submitted to the Senate for further handling.
Under the proposed law, the number of Island Council seats will increase in phases starting with the next elections on March 17, 2027. Bonaire will move from 9 to 11 Island Council members, while St. Eustatius and Saba will each move from 5 to 7 members.
The number of executive council members will also increase. Bonaire will move from 3 to 4 deputies, while St. Eustatius and Saba will move from 2 to 3 deputies.
The adjustment is part of the broader revision of the Public Entities Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba Act, known as WolBES. Since the constitutional changes of 2010, when Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba became public entities of the Netherlands, the number of Island Council members and deputies had not been updated to reflect population growth and the increasing workload of local government.
The basic principle behind the bill is that the size of island governments should be linked to the number of inhabitants, similar to the approach used for municipalities in the European Netherlands.
State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Eric van der Burg welcomed the House’s approval of the bill and said the increase will support both democracy and the effectiveness of local government.
“I am pleased that the House has dealt with this bill so quickly and has approved it. With the increase in the number of Island Council members and deputies, we strengthen both democracy and the effectiveness of the islands. I will continue to talk to the island governments and continue to work on the previously agreed support measures for implementation and costs,” Van der Burg said.
The expansion responds to concerns from the islands that the current number of elected representatives and deputies is too limited for the volume and complexity of the work. With small councils and small executive teams, the same elected officials and deputies are often required to cover broad portfolios, participate in numerous meetings and oversee increasingly complex policy areas.
For the BES islands, the proposed expansion is also tied to the broader discussion about democratic representation and administrative capacity. Since becoming public entities of the Netherlands, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba have had to function within Dutch legislative and administrative frameworks while maintaining small local governments. The increase is intended to provide more space for representation, debate and executive responsibility.
The House also supported an amendment requiring an evaluation after the first expansion. This means the impact of the first increase will be reviewed before any further expansion of seats takes place.
In addition, a motion received broad support calling on the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations to assist Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba with practical preparations, including adjustments to meeting rooms and other implementation needs.
The PVV and FvD voted against the bill, as well as against the amendment and the motion.
If approved by the Senate, the new council sizes will take effect with the 2027 elections. The change would mark the first adjustment of the political representation structure of the BES islands since 2010 and would give the islands additional elected and executive capacity to manage local affairs.
