Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – KVHV, the Catholic Flemish Student Union, was removed from the Ghent Christmas Market stall (Dec 2025) by Look i Like’s Quinten Goekint for fundraising for the political group Voorpost, violating charity rules.
As VRT News reported, the conservative student group KVHV had to leave its stall at the Ghent Christmas Market. The organisers said the group did not follow the event’s rules. Quinten Goekint from Look i Like, which runs the Ghent Winter Festivities, said the rules are the same for everyone.
“The stalls are free only for organisations raising money for charity,”
Quinten Goekint said.
What led KVHV to be removed from the Ghent Christmas Market over Voorpost funds?
Quinten Goekint, spokesperson for Look i Like, explained why KVHV was removed from the Ghent Christmas Market stall.
“At first, it was believed the funds would go to KVHV’s own operations, but that was incorrect,”
he said.
He clarified that the fundraising campaign was actually for Voorpost, a political organisation.
“That does not follow the event’s rules. We therefore asked KVHV to leave. This was done correctly,”
Goekint added.
He stressed that the chalet does not allow any political activities, regardless of the political orientation.
“This rule is very clear, and KVHV seemed to understand that as well,”
he said. Goekint said he was surprised by the ongoing online discussion a week after the incident.
“I want to make clear that we are simply following the rules. Nothing more, nothing less,”
he concluded.
KVHV was hired to staff the booth from Friday through Sunday last week, with plans for fundraising over this timeframe. Officials removal of KVHV took place when it was determined that KVHV’s functions did not comply with charitable criteria.
The Katholiek Vlaams Hoogstudentenverbond (KVHV) is a student organisation in Flanders with multiple active chapters in Ghent, Leuven, Antwerp, and Brussels; the organisation’s chapter in Ghent is one of the oldest in Flanders, starting in 1887. The mission of KVHV is to promote Catholic, Flemish, and conservative values.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Flemish student movement started to promote the use of the Dutch language and culture at universities in Flanders, which contributed many years later to the establishment of KVHV. Due to its historical significance and numerous political activities, KVHV has received considerable media attention and has sometimes faced criticism for some of its activities; in particular, it has faced suspension at universities for its political positions related to certain events.
