Sint Maarten as a country

In a referendum in 2000, the people of Sint Maarten decided they do not want to belong to the country of the Netherlands Antilles (Dutch West Indies) anymore. Instead, they want to become a country in their own right, although not totally independent from the Netherlands. In this way the Dutch nationality is secured and there could still be a link in some policy fields (for example justice). It's all a bit complicated, but what it comes down to is that they don't want to be bossed around by Curacao, the biggest island of the Netherlands Antilles.

The Netherlands Antilles (and Aruba) and the country of the Netherlands, together form the Kingdom of the Netherlands (It's the kingdom that issues the passports). Now there's a lot of discontent on the islands about the current arrangements. Some islands are expected to opt for direct ties with the Netherlands (like a province), others like SXM want a status aparte.

Solving this puzzle ain't easy. How to divide the assets and liabilities of Netherlands Antilles between the islands?; should SXM get its own currency or the Euro?; which policy fields should be lifted to the Dutch level?; The Dutch minister responsible for solving this complicated puzzle is no longer there. He recently stepped down, over some totally different subject - he failed to introduce elected mayors (instead of appointment by the Queen). It remains to be seen if a new minister can come up a deal every body can live with. Let's hope so...