Prime Minister Rob Jetten Rules Out Reparations Following Orange Family Colonial Study
Prime Minister Rob Jetten stated during his weekly press conference that the Dutch government will not issue reparations as a result of a newly published study examining the historical colonial role of the Orange family, nltimes.nl reported. The research revealed that the royal family was convincingly involved in colonialism and amassed the equivalent of nearly 576 million euros from it. Jetten noted that a multi-year program has been underway since the government issued its formal apology for the Netherlands’ history of slavery, pointing out that substantial funding has already been allocated.
In 2023, following apologies from both the government and King Willem-Alexander, the Cabinet made 200 million euros available for ongoing initiatives. Jetten expressed that he was deeply impressed by the King’s decision to personally request the colonial study. He voiced hope that the findings will contribute to reconciliation for individuals who suffered pain as a result of the nation’s colonial past while calling for a greater societal awareness of those lasting effects.
Educational Integration and Restitution Plans Moving Forward
The government intends to use the study as an enrichment tool for education in schools and museums, according to Jetten’s press statements. He argued that the research provides a different view of historical periods and the specific roles played by the state, adding that structured lessons are necessary because expecting everyone to read all the research books is unrealistic. Alongside educational integration, ongoing plans involve direct conversations with affected communities about colonial history alongside state plans to return cultural art to the countries from which it was taken during the colonial era.
Bianca Groen Gallant, director of the National Institute for the Study of Dutch Slavery and its Legacy (NiNsee), stated that recognizing the nation’s slavery past must mark the beginning of a new phase. Groen Gallant welcomed King Willem-Alexander’s choice to commission the research, noting that it does justice to the systemic injustice and violence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and expressed an organizational desire to speak directly with the Royal Family and other involved parties regarding follow-up steps.
Activist Mitchell Esajas Returns Royal Ribbon in Protest of Insufficient Response
Amidst the governmental and institutional reactions, activist Mitchell Esajas announced he is returning the royal ribbon he received in 2023. Esajas, the co-founder of The Black Archives and the New Urban Collective, criticized King Willem-Alexander’s speech following the publication of the study’s findings as insufficiently strong. Speaking from Kormantse in Ghana, Esajas stated that he was not surprised by the revelations regarding royal profits from slavery and colonialism.
Esajas argued that words focusing on reconciliation and connection remain inadequate while economic and racial inequality persists. Although he praised the King for commissioning the research, he emphasized that the study only materialized due to years of sustained activism by Black communities. Esajas originally received his ribbon for social work and efforts through Kick Out Zwarte Piet, the New Urban Collective, and The Black Archives, but stated he no longer wishes to wear the honor in light of the study’s conclusions.
