Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever warned students at Ghent University that the European welfare state is unsustainable and will collapse within their lifetime if policies are not reformed. He urged structural changes including pension reforms, limits on unemployment benefits, and increased labour market productivity to avert a social and fiscal crisis.
De Wever’s stark warning at Ghent University
Bart De Wever, the Belgian Prime Minister and leader of the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA), delivered a sobering inaugural lecture to students at Ghent University on 7 October 2025. He stated that the welfare state as constructed after World War II—providing pensions, healthcare, and social safety nets is facing economic collapse unless fundamental policy reforms are implemented. De Wever asserted, “Without changes in policy, the welfare state will collapse, not in my lifetime but in yours”.
The lecture marked a continuation of his political engagement with students; he recalled a decade earlier discussing immigration, noting that his once-controversial views had since become mainstream, signalling the urgency with which students should heed his current message.
Welfare state’s economic foundation unsustainable
De Wever outlined the welfare state as historically a middle ground between communism and laissez-faire capitalism. However, the population ageing, soaring public debt, and productivity challenges strain this model. He highlighted Belgium’s struggle with extending working lives, boosting employment, and controlling public spending, noting these are crucial to easing the fiscal burden.
The Prime Minister pointed to measures already pursued by the “Arizona coalition” government, such as reforming pensions, limiting unemployment benefits duration, and reintegrating long-term sick individuals into the labour force. Yet he called these partial solutions, insisting the “real challenge lies at the European level,” urging EU completion of the single market and prioritising economic growth over overly ambitious climate policies.
Reforms proposed to safeguard welfare
Key reforms proposed by De Wever include:
- Limiting the length of unemployment benefits to incentivise return to work
- Reintegrating long-term sick leave recipients into the workforce through sanctions on employers and employees
- Extending working lives and raising retirement ages
- Increasing labour market participation and productivity
- Cutting public social spending to sustainable levels
Despite progress, De Wever admitted Belgium still faces a long road, emphasising that European cooperation is essential to solving structural challenges in public finances and social protection.
Criticism of EU policies and call for Benelux leadership
De Wever criticised what he described as internal EU trade barriers and regulatory overreach that hinder economic growth and competitiveness. He advocated the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) should lead efforts to reform Europe’s economy and restore prosperity.
He urged a pragmatic approach, warning against prioritising “the most climate-friendly policies imaginable” at the expense of economic stability. De Wever warned that a failure to balance these priorities would make Europeans vulnerable in a competitive global environment.
Balancing hope and frustration for Belgium’s future
While delivering a largely pessimistic outlook, De Wever tempered his speech with cautious optimism, suggesting Belgium could experience a new golden
Comments
20 responses to “Bart De Wever warns Ghent University: Unchanged policies will lead to welfare state collapse within your lifetime.”
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Typical Bart, always bringing the sunshine with his cheerful forecasts! 🌧️ Just what the students need – a reminder that their future might be as bright as a Belgian winter! 😂
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Looks like our dear Bart is giving the kids at Ghent Uni a taste of reality—who knew learning could be this thrilling? 😂 Time to dust off those old economic textbooks, lads; the welfare state isn’t going to save itself!
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Oh, delightful! So we’re all just supposed to sit back and watch the welfare state crumble like a stale Belgian waffle? Who knew the lecture hall was the new crystal ball for predicting doom and gloom? 🍻
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Aye, who knew students at Ghent U were sit’n on a ticking time bomb? Better get those “emergency” fundraisers ready, eh? 💸🤔
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Never thought I’d hear a Prime Minister say my future is doomed before I’ve even had my coffee ☕. Guess that’s one way to motivate the students—nothing like a little existential dread to spice up the lecture, eh? 😅
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Typical De Wever—always the bearer of good tidings! 🙄 If only he could sprinkle a bit of that optimism on his economic doom and gloom, eh?
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Seems like De Wever’s got a real knack for party tricks—scaring students into action with tales of our welfare state doing a spectacular nosedive. Bravo, mate, who needs horror films when you’ve got political speeches? 🎭
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Looks like Bart’s got a crystal ball showing the collapse of the welfare state right before our very eyes! Maybe if we all just hold our breath and wish real hard, it won’t happen… or we could, you know, actually do something about it? 🤷♂️
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So, De Wever thinks the welfare state is on a one-way ticket to oblivion, huh? What a surprise—next, he’ll tell us the sky is blue. 🥴
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Isn’t it delightful that the future of our welfare state hinges on a few wise words from Bart? 🤔 Because who doesn’t love a good ol’ lecture about impending doom while they’re just trying to pass their exams? 😂
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Isn’t it delightful when a politician drops a cheerful little bombshell like this? “Your future’s in jeopardy, kids, but hey, keep enjoying those student discounts while you can! 😅💸”
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Oh, brilliant! So we’re just going to let our welfare state crumble while the students sit there, sipping their lattes and pretending it won’t be their problem, eh? 🍵🙄
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Typical Bart, always bringing the sunshine ☀️ with his lovely little doom-and-gloom speeches. Maybe he should have a chat with the students about how to prepare for the apocalypse instead of just warning them about it, eh? 😂
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So, De Wever’s here to save the day, eh? Who knew a lecture could double as a doomsday prophecy? 🙄 Better brush up on those job applications, kids!
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Seems like Bart’s got the crystal ball out again, predicting doom and gloom for the welfare state—guess we should all start knitting our own jumpers. 🤷♂️ Just hope he’s got a plan B beyond “work till you drop,” or it’ll be more than just the pension pot that’s empty! 🤑
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Looks like Bart’s giving the students a real wake-up call—who knew a lecture could double as a doomsday prep class? 😂 Better grab those job applications before the welfare fairy disappears!
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Looks like our dear Bart’s got a crystal ball, eh? I mean, who knew the welfare state was just one more “do nothing” policy away from a spectacular collapse? 😂
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Seems like the future of the welfare state is as secure as a Belgian waffle in a flood, eh? 🍽️ Better start saving those coins, kids, or it’ll be all “pay your own way” and “who needs pensions anyway?” 😅
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Seems like Bart’s got a crystal ball now—who knew warning students about the welfare state collapse could double as a career move? 🤔 Let’s hope they find a job before the state goes belly up! 🍻
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Seems like Bart’s giving the students a real wake-up call—nothing like a bit of gentle doomsaying to spice up the lecture, eh? 👏 With policies like that, who needs horror films when you can just watch Belgium’s welfare state in real-time! 😂
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