Sources: Cabinet will apologize for the history of Dutch slavery this year

The Cabinet will issue an apology for the Netherlands' history and connections to slavery, sources confirmed after a story about the subject was reported by RTL Nieuws. That month, the Cabinet will respond to the report from the Dialooggroep Slavernijverleden, the advisory board that put together an extensive report recommending that the State of the Netherlands recognize its role in slavery, apologize for it, and repair the damage caused by it including addressing institutional racism. In the coalition agreement, the current Cabinet has already said that it wants to pay extra attention to the history of slavery in 2023. Rutte said in the summer that he wanted to have a number of conversations about the history of slavery, but then also expressed the expectation that he would be able to take a "next step" later this year. "As we approach next year’s 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, we need to acknowledge this part of our history, too."