A constitutional revolution
By Hilbert Haar It is hard to tell what drives rookie MP Luc Mercelina. His announcement of what he called a “constitutional revolution” must have raised some eyebrows – at least among those who were paying More...
What’s in a name?
By Hilbert Haar Frans presents motion to send Geerlings home. When I read that headline I scratched my head in wonder. And no, it is not my place to criticize the decision of any newspaper editor to allow such a More...
The trouble with sources
By Hilbert Haar When you publish a story about a rather sensitive subject – like plans to sell the port of St. Maarten to a third party, combined with whispers about the formation of a broad coalition – it tends More...
Fake historian?
Published June 19, 2019, in The Daily Herald: Dear editor, In April I wrote an article under the headline ‘Heyliger’s bribery allegations have a long (family) history.’ It appeared on the independent news More...
No sense of urgency
By Hilbert Haar Membership of parliament is supposed to be a full time job and our fifteen parliamentarians are handsomely paid for it. Yet, according to a proposal submitted by MPs Rolando Brison, Christophe Emmanuel More...
Pension reform: impossible is nothing
By Hilbert Haar The stalled debate about increasing the retirement age has put the spotlight on questions about ageing and the ability to continue working after the current retirement age of 62 in St. Maarten. LOGIN More...
Hidden agenda
By Hilbert Haar Last week I witnessed something odd. The parliamentary committee for Public Housing, Urban Planning, Environment and Infrastructure – commonly referred to as the VROMI-committee (PHUPEI doesn’t More...
The wrong message
By Hilbert Haar Think about this a bit. The court in Philipsburg decided against sending the suspects in the Pompeii-investigation to prison because, according to local reports, “the insufficient condition of More...
Follow the money
By Hilbert Haar Was it a serious collective Carnival hangover or a deliberate attempt to sabotage the government’s attempts to put legislation in place that regulates the cross-border transport of money and valuables? More...
Between a rock and a hard place, but worse
By Hilbert Haar The expression caught between a rock and a hard place does not begin to describe the situation St. Maarten finds itself in now that the Kingdom Council of Ministers has put conditions in place for More...
