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Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Flood of complaints over Dutch far-right leader's ‘hateful and racist' campaign image
Less than three months before a general election in the Netherlands , far-right leader Geert Wilders has sparked a new controversy by using a campaign image that has been described as 'polarising, stigmatising and discriminatory'. The image has prompted more than 2,500 complaints from members of the public to the anti-discrimination organisation since it was posted on social media earlier this week. It could result in the Freedom Party leader facing legal action. It shows a split image of a woman, the left side of whose face is light-skinned and pleasant with blonde hair and blue eyes, while the right side is darker skinned, scowling and wearing a hijab, the head covering favoured by Muslim women. Below the blonde-haired woman are the letters PVV, the initials of Mr Wilders's anti-Islam Freedom Party, while under the woman in the hijab are the letters PvdA, the initials of the Labour Party, led by former EU Commission executive vice-president, Frans Timmermans. READ MORE Beneath the split image are the words 'The choice is yours on 29/10'. Aan U de keuze op 29/10 — Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) The general election takes place on October 29th. Polls show an alliance between Labour and GreenLeft as presenting the strongest challenge to the Freedom Party, the largest in the outgoing four-party Coalition. A spokesman for said the large and growing number of complaints was a 'clear signal from society', adding that the bureau was 'preparing to take the next steps'. The descriptions his organisation was seeing most commonly in complaints were 'hateful', 'tasteless' and 'racist'. However, whether the image 'crosses a legal line' would be a matter for the courts. He said the last time there was such a flood of anger was during the covid pandemic in 2020 when a satirical song generated about 4,000 complaints of racism after multiple instances of harassment of people of oriental appearance. [ EU cannot ignore what's happening in Poland and The Netherlands Opens in new window ] [ Dutch voters welcome collapse of right-wing coalition, according to poll Opens in new window ] The last time Mr Wilders was involved in such a controversy was in March 2014, again in an election setting, when he asked a rally in The Hague whether they wanted 'more or fewer Moroccans' in the Netherlands. The audience chanted 'fewer, fewer, fewer', to which Mr Wilders replied, 'well, then we will arrange that'. After a seven-year legal case that went all the way to the Dutch supreme court, Mr Wilders was convicted of 'group defamation' for inciting hatred and violence towards Moroccans. In its final ruling, the supreme court observed: 'Even a politician must adhere to the basic principles of the rule of law and must not incite intolerance.' Mr Wilders routinely dismisses such criticism as a 'political witch hunt', a claim courts have repeatedly rejected for lack of evidence.
Morocco World
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Geert Wilders' Islamophobic Post Sparks Over 2,500 Complaints
A Dutch platform that fights discrimination reported receiving over 2,500 complaints after far-right politician Geert Wilders posted a controversial post on X. The post, shared earlier this week on X, showed an AI-generated image split into two halves. One side displayed a young blonde woman with blue eyes labeled 'PVV,' the acronym of Wilders' Party for Freedom. The other half featured an older woman with a stern expression wearing a headscarf, marked 'PvdA,' referring to the Dutch Labour Party. Wilders added a caption that read, 'Your choice on October 29,' pointing to the upcoming Dutch elections. Often called the 'Dutch Trump,' Wilders has a long history of campaigning against Islam. He maintained his harsh tone with a follow-up post on Wednesday, stating, 'The Dutch first. Islam has no place here.' He also wrote, 'Foreign criminals out. Our daughters safe in the streets again.' In June, Wilders shook the Dutch political scene by causing the collapse of a fragile coalition government of four parties, after disputes over immigration policies. Islamophobia has become a persistent issue in many Western countries, notably in countries such as France, the Netherlands, and others, where growing anti-Muslim sentiment shapes political and social debates. In France, policies targeting Islamic symbols, such as bans on the hijab in public spaces, have fueled tensions and accusations of discrimination. The Netherlands has witnessed a rise in far-right movements that openly challenge Muslim communities, often linking Islam to crime or threats to national identity. Across the West, this climate has encouraged political figures to adopt harsher rhetoric against Islam, contributing to social divisions and frequent backlash from civil rights organizations and minority groups. Tags: GeertGeert WildersIslamophobiapoliticsXenophobia
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Dutch hotline flooded with complaints after Wilders post
THE HAGUE: A Dutch anti-discrimination hotline has received more than 2,500 complaints about a campaign post by far-right leader Geert Wilders, a spokesman said on Thursday, making it one of the organization's most reported cases on record. The post, shared by the Freedom Party (PVV) leader earlier this week, showed a young blonde woman labelled 'PVV' next to an older, stern-looking woman in a headscarf marked 'PvdA,' referring to the Dutch Labour Party. 'The choice is yours on 29/10,' Wilders wrote on X, referring to local elections in the Netherlands in October. A hotline spokesman told the Dutch news agency, ANP, that it was clear that the picture was 'polarizing, stigmatising and discriminatory' and intended to 'put Muslims in a bad light.' The complaints and comments given to the hotline, he said, were 'a clear signal from society.' 'The words we see are, for example, 'tasteless', 'hateful', 'racist',' the spokesman said. The volume of complaints is among the highest the organization has ever seen for a single incident. Only a 2020 controversy involving a song titled 'Prevention is better than Chinese' during the Covid-19 pandemic drew more reports, with around 4,000 at the time, he said. The hotline is considering its next steps, including a possible formal complaint, but said that no decision had yet been taken. 'By contrasting these two images of women, an us-versus-them story is told that is at odds with the inclusive society we strive for in the Netherlands,' the organization said in a statement. 'Such an image can reinforce prejudices and widen the gap between groups.' Politics may be fierce, but should never 'incite hatred, exclusion or discrimination,' it said. Wilders, who has long campaigned on an anti-Islam platform, doubled down on Thursday. In a post on X, he wrote: 'Dutch people first. Islam does not belong in the Netherlands. Criminal foreigners out. Our daughters safe on the streets again.' The right-winger stunned Dutch politics in June by toppling the country's fragile four-party coalition in a dispute over immigration. Fresh elections are scheduled for October 29, with the PVV leader hoping to repeat his surprise result from November 2023, when his bloc finished first.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Dutch hotline overwhelmed by complaints over Wilders' campaign post
THE HAGUE: A Dutch anti-discrimination hotline has received over 2,500 complaints regarding a campaign post by far-right leader Geert Wilders. The post, shared by the Freedom Party (PVV) leader, depicted a young blonde woman labelled 'PVV' beside an older woman in a headscarf marked 'PvdA,' referencing the Dutch Labour Party. 'The choice is yours on 29/10,' Wilders wrote on X, alluding to the upcoming local elections in October. A spokesman stated the image was 'polarising, stigmatising and discriminatory,' aimed at portraying Muslims negatively. He noted the complaints reflect 'a clear signal from society,' with terms like 'tasteless,' 'hateful,' and 'racist' frequently cited. The volume of complaints ranks among the highest ever recorded by the organisation for a single incident. Only a 2020 controversy involving a song titled 'Prevention is better than Chinese' during the pandemic drew more reports, with around 4,000 complaints. The hotline is evaluating potential next steps, including a formal complaint, though no decision has been finalised. Wilders, known for his anti-Islam stance, reiterated his position on Wednesday. 'Dutch people first. Islam does not belong in the Netherlands. Criminal foreigners out. Our daughters safe on the streets again,' he posted on X. The PVV leader caused a political upheaval in June by collapsing the Netherlands' fragile four-party coalition over immigration disputes. Fresh elections are set for 29 October, with Wilders aiming to replicate his 2023 electoral success. – AFP
Bloomberg
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Wilders' Far-Right Party Projected to Win Dutch Election in Poll
Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) is projected to be the biggest in the October parliamentary election, a July poll said. The Freedom Party is expected to receive 27 out of 150 seats, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos I&O Research released on Wednesday.
