Outgoing prime minister Mark Rutte would prefer to keep his team together but thinks the situation regarding his ministers leaving is "explainable." In less than two months, D66 ministers Sigrid Kaag (Financials), Gunay Uslu (Media and Culture), and Ernst Kuipers (Public Health) have all resigned. Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra had already left for Brussels. Minister Liesje Schreinemacher (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) has been away on pregnancy leave since December.
The Netherlands will commemorate Keti Koti on Saturday, the day slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. This year’s commemoration also marks the official start of the Slavery Past Commemoration year, which will run from through July 1, 2024.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander would not say on Thursday whether he will deliver an apology about the country's historical ties to slavery when he speaks next week during a ceremony in Amsterdam. On July 1, the Netherlands will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the practical abolition of slavery. On that day, the king will be present at the ceremony and celebration in Amsterdam.