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Thomas Kirchner
Maybe it was a mistake to want to keep the action secret. Perhaps the Dutch government should have informed earlier and involved all sides. Only at the end of November did it become known through an indiscretion that Prime Minister Mark Rutte wanted to apologize next Monday for slavery in the former colonies and the country’s important role in the global slave trade. A bitter controversy immediately erupted that is already overshadowing the “meaningful moment” Rutte has in mind and could rob him of a good deal of his dignity.