More than 2,500 people have filed complaints with hotline Discriminatie.nl about a campaign image posted by PVV leader Geert Wilders, which experts say uses fascist visual language and is designed to inflame divisions ahead of the general election.

The image, shared on social media earlier this week, features a split-screen of two women’s faces, generated by AI. On the left is a young, blonde, blue-eyed woman with the letters “PVV”. On the right is an older woman with a headscarf and a stern expression, marked “PvdA” – the Dutch Labour party.

Wilders captioned the image: “The choice is yours on 29/10”, referring to the date of the general election.

A spokesperson for the anti-discrimination office said the surge in reports shows a “clear signal from society”. He described the image as “polarising, stigmatising and discriminatory” and said the organisation is preparing next steps.

Sociologist Niels Spierings said the image goes beyond ethnicity. “It also pits young versus old, and beauty versus age – which is a classic feature of fascist visuals,” he said. Whether the image crosses a legal line is up to the courts or the voters to decide, but “it clearly sets groups against each other,” he said.

The last time Discriminatie.nl received such a high number of complaints was in 2020, when around 4,000 people objected to the satirical song Voorkomen is beter dan chinezen during the coronavirus pandemic.

Wilders has previously been convicted of group defamation for his “fewer Moroccans” remarks in 2020, although he received no penalty. He is known for making statements that many critics view as deliberately divisive.

The PVV emerged as the biggest party at the 2023 general election, winning 37 out of 150 seats in parliament. However, the party’s fortunes have plunged since then, and in the latest polls it is on target to win around 27.

The PVV pulled out of the current coalition in a dispute over tougher rules for asylum.

Housing, not immigration, is the top concern for Dutch voters heading into the general election on October 29, according to a survey among RTL Nieuws panel members.