A small group of students protested on Tuesday morning outside the University of Ghent (UGent), where Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) was scheduled to deliver the inaugural political science lecture.
The demonstrators unfurled a banner and distributed leaflets calling for increased investments in pensions and education, as well as a political focus on peace.
"The policies of Bart De Wever’s government are dismantling our social security, funding weapons and war, and enabling genocide in Gaza. As young people, we will continue to oppose this," said Manar Kharrazi, one of the organisers of the protest.
Prime Minister De Wever was invited by UGent Professor Carl Devos to give the opening lecture in political science at the University of Ghent this year.
Despite the protests, the event went ahead without incident, with the Belgian Prime Minister delivering his talk while answering questions from political science students.
During the speech, De Wever spoke about his government's plans on pensions, social cuts and defence spending.
"I think that unemployment reform will be very beneficial for Wallonia," he told Flemish students while discussing limiting unemployment benefits, which he says are necessary "to keep everything affordable", reports HLN.
Student and chair of the Belgian Workers' Party (PTB-PVDA) student organisation Comac, Mingtje Wang, asked the Flemish nationalist why there will be cuts to higher education but investments in defence.
"Cutting costs is never fun and no one will escape it," replied De Wever. "But we must be able to defend ourselves against the tyrant in the east," referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
