Number of parties in UU Council elections keeps on growing

With six parties standing for election, students have even more choice this year than in 2025, when five parties contended for their support. In total, 135 students are on the candidate lists, distributed among six parties. They are competing for the 12 student seats on the University Council. The other twelve seats are held by staff. The elections for staff representatives take place every two years, while those for student representatives take place yearly.

Powers
The UU Council represents the interests of staff and students vis-à-vis the Executive Board. The UU Council holds regular meetings with the Executive Board to consult them on university-wide policies related to education, research, finance, personnel, and organisation. The UU Council advises the Executive Board on these matters, both on request and on its own initiative.

The UU Council has the right of consent on certain matters, such as the broad outlines of the university's budget. On all other matters, it has only the right to advise the board. A debate has recently begun within the university community over whether the council’s powers are sufficient to fulfil its democratic duties.

Established student parties
The six parties presented their candidates on Tuesday at the UU administration building, during a meeting convened by the electoral committee. Only 25 candidates were present, out of 135. The party leaders took their seats at the conference table, while the other candidates stood around it.

The two oldest parties, Lijst Vuur (currently holding six seats) and PvdUS (currently holding three seats), are in the running as usual. Both parties have reached the limit of 30 candidates per list. The Sociology student Puk Donken is the lead candidate for Lijst Vuur, while the Liberal Arts & Sciences student Mees Geurts leads the list for PvdUS.

Last year’s newcomers are stepping up their game. RUPS and the Student Coalition Utrecht both submitted lists of 30 candidates. The lead candidates for these parties are Justin Hermsen (Public Administration & Organisational Science) and Seyda Karaslaan (Psychology), respectively. At present, these parties are represented in the council with only one student each. 

Something remarkable is happening at the right end of the political spectrum. Last year, the far-right party VSP won one of the twelve student seats. However, the elected councillor, Lloyd Leonard Opdam, severed ties with the party after its national chair was prosecuted for assault and discrimination. According to Opdam, he already disagreed with the direction the party was taking and with some of the chairman’s statements in the media. Several VSP councillors at other universities resigned as well.

Opdam stayed on the University Council, claiming to belong to a new party called Academisch Belang Utrecht (Academic Interest Utrecht). His party is now running eleven candidates in the upcoming elections. The list is led by the Art History student Emma Bosma, who served this year on the Faculty of Humanities council as a VSP member. Like Opdam, she is one of the VSP members who have left the party. 

But that doesn't mean it's the end for VSP. The party is back on the ballot with four candidates led by the History student Henk Jan Dikken. He could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Election poster from 2023. Photo: DUB

Campaign etiquette
During Tuesday’s public meeting, the parties were briefed on the rules they must adhere to during the campaign. According to the Electoral Committee, the campaign should be based on “constructive dialogue” and proceed "in a spirit of harmony.” However, the meeting's chair emphasised that the parties should also have enough room to highlight differences of opinion, so that voters can make an informed choice.

Offering rewards in exchange for votes is not allowed. “The voter’s freedom must not be restricted by asking for a favour in return,” the chair stated. In the past, parties distributed pink cakes to lure students to a computer, where they could cast a vote. The electoral committee states that this is allowed as long as it is clear that students are free to decide whether to vote and, if they do, for whom. Voters should also be able to cast their votes in a secluded space, where no one can look over their shoulder.

In addition, parties are not allowed to move, damage or destroy campaign materials from other parties. Offensive or discriminatory language is also forbidden. “Debate and disagreement are part of a campaign, but keep it respectful, humane and polite. Do not discriminate against others,” the Electoral Committee stated during the meeting.

Two years ago, some people complained about stickers distributed by VSP. They featured the text, "There are only two genders (sic). Do you still dare to say that?" One audience member asked the electoral committee how such matters will be handled. They advised reporting them as soon as possible.

Falling turnout reversed
The elections for the twelve student seats on the University Council will take place 1-3 June, and the results will be announced on 5 June. After years of decline, turnout has risen slightly in recent years, though it remains low. Last year, only 23.6 per cent of all UU students voted. The parties hope the turnout will rise even further this year.

Paul Westerveld, Nico Naus and Chris Janssen. Photo: DUB

Three new staff members
During the meeting, the three staff members who will join the University Council next year were also announced. They will replace staff members who left the University Council before the end of their term. Only one candidate came forward in each of the three constituencies where a new representative had to be found.

As a result, those candidates were immediately appointed to the University Council on Tuesday. They are the Associate Professor of Experimental Psychology, Chris Jansen, who will join the Humanities/Social Sciences section; the Assistant Professor in Computer Science, Nico Naus, who will join the Science/Veterinary Medicine section; and the Project Manager, Paul Westerweel, joining the Support and Administrative Staff section. They are all from the Lijst Vlam party.