Results of the 2025 university elections announced
The results of the 2025 university elections are in. Who will represent us in the participation organs?
This year, students voted to decide which student parties would represent them on the University Council and the Faculty Councils. Staff members elected their representatives for either the Faculty Council or the Employee Council. The newly elected representatives will take their seats at the start of the upcoming academic year.
See all results, including the names of the elected candidates.
Student election results for the University Council
The Democratic Student Party – Students' Collective will receive 3 seats, and the Party for Science and Medical Students will get 2. The remaining parties entering the Council will each receive 1 seat. These are: Ondernemende Studenten Leiden, Liberale Studentenpartij, and the Vrijmoedige Studentenpartij.
As a result the student representation on the University Council remains largely unchanged compared to last year. The only change is that the Party for Science and Medical Students lost one seat to the Vrijmoedige Studentenpartij (VSP), which entered the elections for the first time.
The VSP also won seats on the Faculty Councils of Humanities, Law, and Science. The Party Against the Student, another newcomer, failed to secure any seats.
Voter turnout
Student turnout was higher than last year in most faculties. The turnout for the University Council also increased: 13.7% compared to 11.9% in 2024. As in previous years, the highest turnout was recorded in the Employee councils. The Leiden Learning & Innovation Centre (LLInC) led the way with 71.4%, closely followed by the Administrative Shared Service Centre (ASSC) at 67.6%.
A powerful tool
During the announcement of the election results, Executive Board President Annetje Ottow thanked all candidates for their participation.
‘Participation is an essential pillar of a democratic and transparent university. Critically questioning decisions, proposing alternatives, and actively participating in policy development contribute directly to the quality and legitimacy of our governance. Participation is not a formality, but a powerful instrument to give direction tio the policy and course of the university.’
Pauline Vincenten, Chair of the University Council, added: ‘When I look at how the parties and individual council members at all levels have worked over the past year to convey the concerns and ideas of the academic community to the university’s leadership and directors, I have every confidence that the coming year will be a great one.’