In a matter of hours, the Netherlands' anti-discrimination platform, discriminatie.nl, recorded a surge of 2,500 complaints on Thursday following a controversial tweet by Geert Wilders. The far-right leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) shared an AI-generated image on X (formerly Twitter) depicting a face split in two: the left side shows a young blonde woman with blue eyes, alongside PVV party symbols, while the right side features an older woman with a stern expression, wearing a headscarf, labeled «PvdA» in reference to the Dutch Labour Party. The caption reads, «The choice is yours on October 29», the date of the upcoming elections. According to Dutch news agency ANP, a spokesperson for discriminatie.nl described the image as «polarizing, stigmatizing, and discriminatory», noting that it «portrays Muslims in a negative light». The wave of complaints was seen as «a clear signal from society», with terms like «distasteful», «hateful», and «racist» frequently cited. It marked the highest number of complaints the platform has received for a single incident since 2020, when an anti-Chinese song went viral during the Covid-19 pandemic. While no formal action has yet been taken against Wilders, the platform said it is considering legal steps. In a statement, it condemned the image for promoting division, stating it «tells a story that pits people against one another, undermining the inclusive society we strive for in the Netherlands». The day before the tweet, Wilders had already made Islamophobic and xenophobic remarks on X, reiterating his anti-immigration stance: «Dutch first. Islam doesn't belong here (…) Foreign criminals out. Let our girls walk safely on the streets again», he posted.
