Chris Emmanuel: “What is nation building, if locals are not doing the building”

Observe carefully. Leader of the Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) party Christopher Emmanuel this week raised questions that go beyond politics and into the national psyche of this small island nation, whose citizens love to refer to these 37 square miles as a "country", a growing "nation". "But how are we building this nation and leaving the people of this nation on the sidelines?" he asked.

Speaking on his radio program, Emmanuel criticized the government’s ongoing practice of appointing foreign nationals to the top positions in St. Maarten’s government-owned companies. He framed the issue as one not of xenophobia, but of deep concern for national development, social equity, and the psychological well-being of the people who call St. Maarten home.

“We are all of a sudden the United Nations (in appointing foreign nationals), but never for our own nation,” Emmanuel declared, summing up what he sees as a recurring paradox. The country, he argued, has become too comfortable outsourcing leadership roles while its own citizens are told to wait, qualify more, or simply accept that top-tier opportunities belong to others.

This was not simply a complaint about hiring practices. It was a lament, a warning, and a plea. Emmanuel called out what he views as a dangerous trend of institutionalized neglect of St. Maarteners, and he did so not with reckless nationalism but with a deliberate and sobering critique. His words cut to the heart of what it means to belong, to be valued, and to have your homeland reflect your worth.

𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

In his remarks, Emmanuel pointed to a series of high-level appointments in government owned companies that, in his view, exemplify this deepening crisis. At Princess Juliana International Airport, the CEO is a Canadian. At GEBE, the electricity and water utility, both the CEO and CFO are Dutch nationals. At TELEM, the country’s telecommunications provider, a CFO from Curaçao is currently acting as CEO. These are not minor or technical positions. These are the apex posts at entities that shape public life, drive the economy, and symbolize national capability.

Meanwhile, Port St. Maarten, one of the few remaining state entities with a local CEO, Alexander Gumbs, is now at a crossroads as his contract comes up for review in a few months. Emmanuel made clear where he stands on that matter. “We will not stand for Alex being moved,” he said bluntly. “You've been warned.” He referred to Gumbs as “the last of the Mohicans,” invoking the painful irony that, in a nation of over 40,000 people, the last remaining local CEO in a major public company could be under threat of displacement.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨-𝐒𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧

Emmanuel was careful to make a distinction that is often misunderstood in this discussion. His critique was not a broadside against foreigners. It was a defense of the right of St. Maarteners to expect representation, opportunity, and confidence in their own capacity. “Why is it so impossible,” he asked, “to identify local people to run these companies?” The issue, he emphasized, is not about rejecting outsiders but about refusing to perpetuate the myth that they are inherently more capable, more qualified, or more deserving.

This framing is important. In a globalized world, where talent moves easily and expertise can be sourced across borders, there is nothing inherently wrong with foreign appointments, if they complement local development, build institutional capacity, and transfer skills to local successors. But when foreign hires become the norm, when leadership pipelines exclude nationals, and when local professionals are told to step aside again and again, the issue ceases to be about competence. It becomes about power, perception, and identity.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The former MP stressed that the impact of these choices goes far beyond corporate governance. The message it sends to citizens, especially to young people, students abroad, and mid-career professionals, is that their country does not believe in them. It says that leadership, at the highest levels, is not something they should aspire to because the positions will be reserved for others. This erodes public morale, weakens civic confidence, and drives disillusionment across the entire community.

In small island developing states like St. Maarten, Emmanuel explained, the psychological cost of exclusion is magnified. Here, politics is personal, success is communal, and ambition is often intergenerational. When the most capable among the population are consistently passed over for top roles, it does not just harm individual careers, it fractures community trust. "It discourages students from returning home after studying abroad. It hollows out national institutions of their legitimacy. It fuels the kind of quiet resignation that turns patriotism into bitterness."

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭

For Emmanuel, the deeper betrayal lies in the silence of elected leaders who campaigned on a platform of national pride but govern in ways that undercut it. “How do you have the stomach to not appoint your own?” he asked. The question is not rhetorical. It strikes at the core of the democratic compact. If politicians ask for the people's votes, based on shared identity, shared struggle, and shared future, then why do they so easily outsource decision-making to firms or consultants with little knowledge of the community’s realities or needs?"

Emmanuel warned against relying on the judgments of recruitment firms that “are manned by foreign people or people who have more affinity to foreigners than St. Maarten people.” He is asking, in essence, who really holds the pen when it comes to shaping the country’s future. If it is not the people elected by St. Maarteners, then the social contract is already broken.

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

he opined that Government-owned companies are more than just business ventures. They are pillars of public trust, strategic leverage points in economic planning, and training grounds for the next generation of leaders. If local people are excluded from running them, then the very notion of national development becomes hollow.

"Leadership is about more than expertise. It is about legitimacy, relatability, and connection. A local CEO understands the nuances of community relationships, the historical context of public frustrations, and the unspoken cultural cues that shape policy success or failure. A local leader offers not just a skillset but a stake in the country’s well-being. Every appointment carries weight. Every overlooked candidate chips away at a sense of national worth," he said.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞

The urgency in Emmanuel’s voice reflects a growing sense that St. Maarten is reaching a tipping point. If locals continue to be sidelined in their own institutions, the country risks cementing a two-tiered system, one in which foreigners lead and locals follow. That is not a recipe for inclusion. It is a prescription for alienation.

The solution, Emmanuel argues, is not complex. Appoint the best qualified person, yes. But give local candidates a fair and serious chance. Do not default to the idea that excellence comes from abroad. Identify, train, and promote St. Maarteners into leadership roles. Use foreign expertise to build local capacity, not to permanently displace it.

"What is needed is a cultural shift inside government and inside the public imagination. St. Maarten must believe that it is possible, and desirable, for its own people to lead. That belief must be reflected in policy, in practice, and in the appointments."

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