Van Ranst Breaks Silence: Press Office Opposed Interview

Belgian virologist Marc Van Ranst has broken his silence in a candid new interview with De Morgen, revealing that his institution’s press office advised against the conversation — but he felt he could no longer stay quiet. The interview, published May 30, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict at the Rega Institute of KU Leuven, where Van Ranst and fellow virologist Professor Piet Maes are locked in a bitter dispute over toxic workplace conditions.

The Interview That Almost Wasn’t

Speaking to De Morgen journalist Tine Peeters, Van Ranst disclosed that the press office of his institute urged him not to participate. “The press office would rather I didn’t give this interview, but I just couldn’t let it pass anymore,” he said. The revelation suggests institutional nervousness about the story and hints at behind-the-scenes efforts at damage control.

In a separate interview with HUMO, also published May 30, Van Ranst opened up about the personal toll of the controversy. “This witch hunt about toxic leadership at KU Leuven is the first time something like this doesn’t leave me cold,” he told journalist Joost Vandensande. “I keep getting nosebleeds from it.” He added that he still receives dozens of hate messages daily: “If it stays at ‘fatty,’ I’m lucky.”

A Conflict Years in the Making

The roots of the dispute trace back to 2023, when reports of conflict within research teams at the Rega Institute first emerged. An external prevention service, IDEWE, conducted a RASAS (risk analysis specific work situation) investigation that identified what KU Leuven described as “far-reaching toxic behavior” by a head lecturer — later identified as Piet Maes. According to VRT NWS, the report cited “latent aggressive behavior, a pathology that builds lie upon lie, monopolizing information, incitement, sabotage, and creating a culture of fear.”

Maes was suspended, but he challenged the decision in labor court — and won twice. In October 2024 and again in May 2025, judges ruled in his favor, questioning the reliability of the external prevention service’s report. Despite these rulings, KU Leuven terminated Maes’s contract in February 2026 after failed mediation attempts. Maes is now contesting the termination and plans to file a complaint against the university, its rector, and Van Ranst personally.

Competing Narratives

The conflict has produced sharply opposing accounts. Maes, speaking through PAL, has accused Van Ranst and lab manager Elke Wollants of being the real sources of toxicity. He claims the RASAS report is flawed and that eight of his direct employees were not allowed to tell their full story during the investigation. “The stories are totally incorrect and unproven,” Maes said, accusing Van Ranst of “spreading all sorts of untruths and lies publicly.”

Van Ranst denies these allegations and has welcomed a new, broader external investigation ordered by the Flemish government. The government commissioner overseeing KU Leuven expressed concern about ongoing signals of problems at the institute, prompting the fresh inquiry.

A Personal Toll Beyond the Pandemic

The current controversy appears to be affecting Van Ranst more deeply than the harassment he endured during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he became a household name as one of Belgium’s most visible scientific voices. During that period, he faced thousands of hate messages, death threats, and even a physical attack with a cream pie in Bruges in 2023.

What makes this different, observers note, is that the current attacks come from within the academic community rather than from anonymous online trolls. As The Brussels Times reported, the allegations involve toxic management, sabotage, harassment, and even theft — accusations that strike at the heart of professional reputation and collegial trust.

Broader Implications for Academic Governance

The Rega Institute case raises fundamental questions about how universities investigate internal conflicts. The labor court’s questioning of the IDEWE report’s independence has cast doubt on whether external investigations can be truly impartial when commissioned by the institution itself. The fact that KU Leuven took more than ten months after the court ruling to implement an action plan has further eroded confidence in the process.

For the Rega Institute — one of Belgium’s most prestigious medical research centers, founded in 1954 — the reputational stakes are high. The institute played a crucial role in COVID-19 diagnostic testing and research, and its standing as a center of excellence is now under scrutiny.

What to Watch For

The Flemish government’s new external investigation is expected to provide a more definitive picture of what has been happening behind the scenes. Meanwhile, Maes’s planned legal complaint against Van Ranst and KU Leuven could set important precedents for academic employment disputes in Belgium. For now, the core question remains unanswered: who is responsible for the toxic culture at the Rega Institute? The answer will have implications not just for the individuals involved, but for public trust in Belgium’s scientific institutions.