Government & politics — Aruba
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Aruba: Country of Aruba
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Country of Aruba
- Country Name
Aruba
- Local - Long
Land Aruba (Dutch); Pais Aruba (Papiamento)
- Local - Short
Aruba
- Etymology- history of name
- the origin of the island's name is unclear
- according to tradition, the name comes from the Spanish phrase "oro huba" (there was gold), but in fact no gold was ever found on the island
- another possibility is the native word "oruba," which means "well-situated"
- Independence
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
- National Holiday
National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)
Political system
- Government Type
parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Constitution
- history: previous 1947, 1955
- latest drafted and approved August 1985, enacted 1 January 1986 (regulates governance of Aruba but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
- in 1986, Aruba became a semi-autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Legal System:
civil law system based on the Dutch civil code
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Genera
- Prime Minister Mike EMAN (since 28 March 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers ele
- cted by the Legislature (Staten) election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly el
- ected by the Staten for 4-year term most recent election date: 6
- December 2024 election results: Mike EMAN (AVP) elected prime minister;
- percent of Staten vote - NA expected date of next election: by December 2028
- Legislative Branch:
Description
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections
last held on 25 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2025)
Election Results
- percent of vote by party MEP 35.3%, AVP 31.3%, ROOTS 9.4%, MAS 8%, Accion21 5.8%
- seats by party - MEP 9, AVP 7, ROOTS 2, MAS 2, Accion21 1;
Composition
men 13, women 8, percent of women as of September 2023 - 38.1%
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague,
- Netherlands judge selection and term of office: Joint Cour
- t judges appointed for life by the monarch subordinate courts: Court in First Instance
- Regions or States:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: Aruba is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Accion21 [Miguel MANSUR]
- Aruban People's Party or AVP [Michiel "Mike" EMAN]
- Democratic Network or RED [Ricardo CROES]
- Movimiento Aruba Soberano (Aruban Sovereignty Movement) or MAS [Marisol LOPEZ-TROMP]
- People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Evelyn WEVER-CROES]
- Pueblo Orguyoso y Respeta or POR [Alan Howell]
- RAIZ (ROOTS) [Ursell ARENDS]
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
see the Netherlands
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Oranjestad
- Capital - geographic coordinate
12 31 N, 70 02 W
- Capital Time Difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
embassy
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Aruba
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
- Dependency Status
- constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles
- Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs