Dutch PM Rutte: Monday's speech about slavery history will also lead to new discussion

The Cabinet’s response on Monday to an important advisory statement about the Dutch history with slavery "will also prompte discussion," predicted Prime Minister Mark Rutte. "And that's not necessarily a bad thing either." According to the prime minister, all the discussions about the issue over the past few weeks have yielded a "rich treasure trove of responses" and the "social debate" will continue next year and beyond.

Rutte will give a speech at the National Archives in The Hague on Monday. During his weekly press conference on Friday after the meeting of Cabinet ministers, the prime minister was not willing to share details of his speech.

Sources have said that he will apologize for the country’s historical ties to slavery on behalf of the Dutch State. Seven other ministers will travel to Suriname and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They will go there to watch the speech together with invited guests and other interested parties. Then they will deliver their own remarks regarding Rutte’s speech, with comments tailored to the situation in that country or special municipality.

"It is a subject that you cannot address with one speech. That conversation has been going on for a long time and it will continue," said Rutte. He did acknowledge that the intensity has increased regarding the conversations that have been held in recent weeks with people and organizations linked to the descendants and affects of slavery. According to Rutte, this is mainly because it leaked in advance that apologies will be offered.

This Friday, the Council of Ministers took a final decision on the government's response to the report from the advisory board tasked with analyzing the impact and discussions regarding the history of slavery. The decision did not include the results of the conversation that Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag had with the Surinamese government, which also happened on Friday.

Rutte said Kaag had not yet spoken with him. She also had not spoken with Interior and Kingdom Relations Minister Hanke Bruins Slot, who is responsible for coordinating the issue on behalf of the Cabinet.