Belgian politicians criticize universities over perceived ideological bias

Political figures in Belgium are criticizing Belgian universities for perceived ideological bias and a lack of neutrality. Jeroen Bergers, national chairman of JongN-VA, accused universities of being dominated by “woke” and “left-dogmatic” thinking. He cited an opening ceremony at KU Leuven featuring Islamic chants and diversity messaging, as well as an incident at Ghent University where students reportedly protested a professor's statement regarding research.

Similarly, Mercina Claesen, chair of Vlaams Belang Jongeren (VBJ), criticized Hasselt University for the one-sided nature of an opening lecture focused on remigration. Claesen argued that conservative and right-wing perspectives are systematically excluded from higher education, noting that the lecture featured speakers from the organization Kifkif, which she characterized as having a left-wing activist agenda. She called on Hasselt University to maintain institutional neutrality and allow for diverse viewpoints on migration issues.