In September 2024, the coalition government of Aruba, formed by the MEP and RAIZ parties, collapsed, thrusting the country into an unexpected election set for December 6, 2024. At the center of this chaos is Edgard Vrolijk, now former President of the Parliament of Aruba, who has become a central figure in the controversy that led to the breakdown of the mentioned coalition. Known for his firm and direct style, Edgard Vrolijk is often referred to in discussions by his political opponents as an arrogant and biased figure regarding his leadership in Parliament. But who is Edgard Vrolijk really? This is his side of the story...
Edgard Vrolijk (47), a former teacher with many years of experience in education, dedicated his life to working for Aruba. With a strong educational background, including a Master’s degree in law from the University of Aruba, and a love for his country from a young age, Edgard grew up in the Shete neighborhood in Santa Cruz in a humble family. "This made me more aware of the importance of finishing school and certainly instilled discipline in me."
With that discipline, he excelled in sports as a youth while dedicating himself to his studies, which later led him to stand in front of a classroom as a teacher. "I worked 17 years as a teacher at Cacique Macuarima School, and those were certainly my best professional years." In 2013, he entered the political arena, supporting the MEP party. "I always followed politics closely and certainly admired Betico Croes and MEP for achieving Status Aparte. In 2009, I was approached by AVP to be on their list but opted to stay out of the race. I remained with the party that resonated most with my sentiments and worked with former Prime Minister Nelson Oduber in 2009, learning much from a great leader. In 2012, current Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes approached me to join MEP’s list, convincing me that she stands for integrity, no matter who it may affect. Another strong point is her vision to reinforce our rule of law, which was deficient at the time. I set out to be a sincere politician who says things as they need to be said, with discipline and work ethics but certainly with the courage to make big changes and stand by those decisions."
"The most beautiful part of being a politician is that you get to meet many people, create new friendships, and through your work, you earn the respect of even those who didn’t know you. The less beautiful part is that without meaning to, you’re viewed as an enemy because of your political choices. And certainly, one of the least beautiful parts is how often you get diminished to satisfy political ambitions that affect those closest to you."
According to Vrolijk, the collapse of the government is directly related to a lack of respect for the agreement regarding the presidency of Parliament. "We had a three-year agreement, but when one party in the coalition breaks that agreement and sides with the opposition, it becomes impossible to maintain trust," he says. He mentions that at critical moments, his role as President of Parliament was questioned without valid reason. For Edgard, this was not a question of integrity but rather a political attack against his person. On the crucial day of September 5, 2024, just before the opening of the new parliamentary year, the leader of RAIZ asked Vrolijk to step down from his position, citing a lack of leadership and impartiality as reasons.
According to Edgard, these criticisms were baseless, and he continued to maintain transparency in all his actions as president. "They waited until the last minute to ask for my head, while for over 200 meetings, I was fine. MEP held a party council, and they decided there was no valid reason to replace me. Later that Sunday night, we heard different versions from RAIZ as to why I had to go as President—among them a lack of integrity, leadership, and impartiality—yet none of this has been proven to this day, and it has remained quiet. Finally, I heard another reason that I acted against the constitution and the Rules of Order. If I acted incorrectly as they want to make it seem, the Governor of Aruba would have corrected me, but that is not the case. On the contrary, in the interest of transparency, I share all my plans and their execution, as well as all decisions made in Parliament, with the Governor of Aruba. I maintained myself within a procedure that I adhered to and will continue to adhere to, which is the societal consultation process. A procedure may take time, which is logical, as there are various factors that can cause it, such as the currency exchange law, where upon consultation, it was discovered that the law was flawed and needed modification. Meanwhile, five years have passed. So, by doing my job and staying true to an impartial process and procedure, today, based on emotion and subjective motives, they chose to break the governance agreement. That is why it is important for the new Rules of Order to pass because under this rule, to remove a President, a well-argued recommendation must be made to the Council of Advice, and we would prevent actions like these."
On multiple occasions, political opponents have referred to Edgard Vrolijk as “arrogant.” They argue that his leadership style in Parliament caused resentment and division more than anything else. "Those who know me well know I am a cheerful person who enjoys making jokes. Certainly, I am also someone with a big heart, always willing to help wherever I can." In politics, you must be prepared because when someone works in honor and conscience, they will always be labeled as the bad one, and people will try to create a negative image of that person. I’m not the most educated person in Aruba, but I’m the one who will tell you the truth directly, and many don’t like that because they’ve gotten used to an outdated system that no longer works.
Unfortunately, during all the positive changes for Parliament, the opposition has acted as if everything was bad. An example is the new household rules, such as the introduction of the swipe entrance system. They say I will control their lives, but this is something perfectly normal in every company. And certainly, together with the press aligned with the opposition, they began a campaign calling me arrogant. I’m not the most diplomatic speaker, but I’m a humble person who is direct and stands by my decisions.
What’s Left for You to Achieve as a Politician?
As a politician, I’ve accomplished the goals I set out to achieve, which were to strengthen our rule of law, but I still have the goal of anchoring the Ombudsman in our constitution as a High State College. And certainly, Parliament needs to become independent, which is a long process with the constitutional changes pending at the Department of Legislation and the new Rules of Order, while the Department of Human Resources is completing the new function book and the roadmap for independence. Beyond that, I want to continue working on modernizing our school curriculum and stimulating more education within Aruba itself.
In his role as President of Parliament, Edgard Vrolijk says he focused on transparency and structure. "I ensured that all laws and documents are accessible to the public, and I implemented changes to ensure that Parliament functions more efficiently." One of his main achievements is the creation of new Rules of Order and the law that introduced an Ombudsman for Aruba. Additionally, the renovation of Parliament, part of his master plan, will be completed this year, turning Parliament into a much more modern institution with greater accessibility for the Aruban people.
"Seek the right information and don’t fall for empty promises. Governance is a serious responsibility, and the decisions taken will have a significant impact on Aruba's future."
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