Prosecutors do not consider Timmermans' statement about Wilders to be a crime

The Public Prosecution Service said on Monday that it does not consider a statement left-wing party leader Frans Timmermans made about far-right leader Geert Wilders to be criminally punishable. The GroenLinks-PvdA leader said, "We will stop at nothing to prevent Wilders from coming to power in this country."

The PVV leader argued that this suggests violence would also be an appropriate method to prevent Wilders from rising to a powerful position in the Netherlands. Wilders then pressed charges with the police.

Timmermans spoke at a party conference in Apeldoorn on Saturday, April 20. The statement and the context of that speech show that Timmermans was referring to political means, the Public Prosecution Service said of Wilders' accusation.

In pressing charges, attorney Herman Loonstein argued on behalf of the PVV politician by dissecting the left-wing leaders' word choice. Loonstein said that Timmermans implied that "anything can and will be used" to stop Wilders. As such, this "also includes any criminal offense." Loonstein went on to claim that the act of incitement may involve calling upon people to carry out acts of violence, but it does not have to be literally stated. The wording can also indirectly or implicitly demand violence.

"The entire speech" is important to understand the meaning of what Timmermans said that day, the Public Prosecution said. "It can be deduced from this that it was about political means. Immediately after this statement, the party leader called on the [political] parties [negotiating a coalition agreement] to not form a Cabinet with Wilders. And that GroenLinks-PvdA will put up 'strong opposition' if that does happen."

This does not constitute a criminal offense, the Public Prosecution Service determined.

After Wilders pressed charges, Timmermans affirmed his means "are always parliamentary and nothing else." He continued in a post on X, "I reject any other suggestion."