Shock in Aruba as PM Mike Eman announces planned resignation

The Aruban Prime Minister, Mike Eman, has announced that he will step down from his position on January 1, 2027. He turns 65 on September 1 and said he wants to pass leadership on to a “new generation.” His announcement, made as leader of the Aruban People’s Party (AVP), prompted surprise on the island on Tuesday.

The coalition partner FUTURO said it was taken aback by the announcement. Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Gerlien Croes wrote on social media that the party had not been briefed beforehand. The news also came as a surprise to many residents of the island.

Eman has spent 25 years in politics and is widely regarded as an active and visible leader. Until now, he has not appeared ready to step back from public life. His social media accounts regularly show him visiting different parts of the island, attending official openings, and participating in community events.

Eman was prime minister from 2009 to 2017 and resumed the office on March 28, 2025. Political leadership runs in his family: his brother Henny became Aruba’s first prime minister in 1986, following the island’s status aparte. His father and grandfather were also involved in politics, all within the AVP.

The party leadership is expected to be transferred in September, likely to 30-year-old Wendrick Cicilia, who currently serves as Minister of Tourism, Transport and Labour. He came second on the Aruban People's Party candidate list in the last election and is seen as a potential successor as prime minister.

"There are very few leaders who make room for a new generation while at the height of their power," wrote State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Eric van der Burg on X about the resignation. He called Mike Eman a "committed administrator and a man of his word" and said he looks forward to continuing to work with the Aruban prime minister in the coming months.