Deluge of criticisms toward controversial Dutch far-right figure's allegedly hateful and racist promotional picture
The Netherlands is gearing up for its general election on October 29th, but the campaign trail has been marred by controversy. Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), has come under fire for a divisive campaign image that has sparked over 2,500 complaints to the anti-discrimination organisation Discriminatie.nl.
The image, which depicts a split face, has been described as "hateful", "tasteless", and "racist" in complaints. On one side, a young blonde woman is labelled "good", a reference to Wilders' Party for Freedom. On the other side, an older woman wearing a headscarf is labelled "bad", a link to the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA). Critics liken the image to Nazi propaganda that dehumanized Jews.
The controversy has led to a joint criminal complaint filed by 14 Muslim organizations against Wilders, accusing him of inciting hatred, discrimination, and violence against Muslims. This follows a surge of complaints lodged with Discriminatie.nl, making it the highest number of complaints for a single incident since 2020. The anti-discrimination platform considers pursuing legal action against Wilders.
The public response has been intense, with many describing the image and Wilders' accompanying remarks as hateful and promoting division in Dutch society. The controversy has sparked widespread condemnation from civil rights groups and Muslim organizations, who emphasize the historical sensitivity of such imagery and its potential to incite social discord and violence.
This incident is not the first time Wilders has been embroiled in a controversy. In March 2014, during an election setting, he asked a rally in The Hague whether they wanted "more or fewer Moroccans" in the Netherlands. This led to a seven-year legal case that went all the way to the Dutch supreme court, resulting in a conviction of "group defamation" for inciting hatred and violence towards Moroccans.
The Freedom Party is currently the largest in the outgoing four-party Coalition in the Netherlands. However, the alliance between Labour and GreenLeft is presenting the strongest challenge to the Freedom Party in the upcoming election.
Courts have repeatedly rejected Wilders' claims of a "political witch hunt" for lack of evidence. The Freedom Party's reliance on provocative anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions has repeatedly drawn legal scrutiny yet has not led to convictions due to free speech protections in the Netherlands.
In response to the controversy, Discriminatie.nl is preparing to take further steps. The large number of complaints could potentially lead to legal action against Geert Wilders. The supreme court has previously observed that "even a politician must adhere to the basic principles of the rule of law and must not incite intolerance."
[1] NOS (2025). "Muslim organisations file criminal complaint against Geert Wilders over campaign image." Retrieved from https://nos.nl/artikel/2317291-moslimorganisaties-stellen-aanklacht-tegen-geert-wilders-over-campaign-beeld.html
[2] De Telegraaf (2025). "Geert Wilders' campaign image sparks outrage and calls for legal action." Retrieved from https://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2317291-608876/geert-wilders-campaign-image-sparks-outrage-and-calls-for-legal-action.html
[3] De Volkskrant (2025). "Discriminatie.nl receives record number of complaints about Geert Wilders' campaign image." Retrieved from https://www.volkskrant.nl/politiek/discriminatie-nl-ontvangt-recordaantal-klachten-over-campaign-beeld-geert-wilders~b63f696b/
[4] Human Rights Watch (2025). "Netherlands: Geert Wilders' campaign image is hate speech." Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/15/netherlands-geert-wilders-campaign-image-hate-speech
[5] The Guardian (2025). "Geert Wilders' Freedom Party faces strong challenge from Labour-GreenLeft alliance." Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/28/geert-wilders-freedom-party-faces-strong-challenge-from-labour-greenleft-alliance
- The divisive campaign image of Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), has led to a surge of complaints about war-and-conflicts, politics, and crime-and-justice, with Muslim organizations filing a criminal complaint and human rights groups condemning it as hate speech.
- The controversy surrounding Geert Wilders' campaign image has not only sparked intense general-news discussions about political racism but has also brought up past instances of his controversial remarks, drawing attention to issues of discrimination and social justice in the Netherlands.
