During the Repskap in Stockholm NCF elected a new board for 2022-2023.
President Hedvig Listrup (CUF), First Vice President Jesper Nohr (SUL), Second Vice President Victor Rundqvist (CS) and board members Aapeli Rytkönen (KeNu), Lassi Oikkonen (KOL), Gunnar Ásgrímsson (SUF) and Mathilde Hveid Steiness (RU), Rebecca Perttula (SU).
Maria Pulkka will step down as president at the upcoming Repskap 2022.
Repskap will be held in Stockholm 25.-27.3.
“Time has passed so quickly. I still remember the time when I started at NCF Board work in Repskap 2020 in Helsinki. When I was nominated by my member organization I was so afraid of where I have come and I had no idea what to expect. Past years has been thought me a lot and I am really grateful for NCF which has become my family. Even though past years have been difficult for Nordic cooperation since the covid, I am grateful for how well we have managed to continue our work digitally.”
“Covid also has reflected on how important cooperation is and how important is to work toward stronger Nordics. I have always noticed in international cooperation how similar we Nordics are and I’m fascinated how much stronger the nordic council could be in the future. I’m really excited to meet everyone this weekend and to have meaningful debates and conversations.”.
In Repskap NCF will choose a new president among the member organizations. NCF will also choose two vice presidents and also a new board.
Maria Pulkka, KeNu
Maria Pulkka Runs for the presidency of the NCF. Maria Pulkka from Keskustanuoret (KeNu) was unanimously elected by the board to step in as operating president until the Repskap 2021 in April. She is now seeking to continue as president.
Maria Pulkka is 21-years old and lives in Kuopio, Finland. She is currently KeNu’s international officer and She has experience in politics for several years. She is studying economics at the University of Eastern Finland.
“Nordic co-operation is close to my heart. NCF is my family and I want to continue my work as a president. I want to build the NCF towards more ambitious goals. Pandemic has set us difficult times, but I am very optimistic that NCF could have an event in the Fall 2021.”
The Nordic Centre Youth will elect a new board and a new President at the digital Repskap, 10th - 11th of April.
Following the February board meeting of Nordic Centre Youth (NCF) Mads Rundstrøm from Radikal Ungdom has stepped down as president of the organisation. In his place vice-president Maria Pulkka from Keskustanuoret (KeNu) was unanimously elected by the board to step in as operating president until the Repskap 2021 in April.
Maria Pulkka (KeNu)
“I am excited by the new opportunities that presidency will bring. I have vision and enthusiasm to give my best for the development of our organization. NCF is an important collaborative organization that gives us so many opportunities in international politics” says Maria Pulkka, Keskustanuoret.
Mads Rundstrøm (RU)
”It has been a great honour to serve as the president of NCF since this fall, and I am glad to have a competent and driven vice-president to hand the responsibility to. For the moment I have personal issues that need to be a priority but I look forward to seeing the continued work of the NCF ” says Mads Rundstrøm, Radikal Ungdom.
During the Repskap in April a new board will be elected with representatives from each member organisation that will sit for the working year 2021/2022.
Mads Rundstrøm (Radikal Ungdom) has announced that he is running for President of The Nordic Centre Youth (NCF). Rundstrøm is 24 years old and is studying pedagogy in Horsens. The last one and a half years he has been a substitute to the board of NCF. He has been active in a number of organizations both nationally and internationally, including student organizations. He is also on the list for Radikale Venstre in Aarhus municipality which is the second largest in Denmark in the upcoming elections.
Mads Rundstrøm
“The recent year has offered its share of difficulties. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the political system, our personal lives, as well as our organisation.
We cannot let these problems knock us out.
NCF must continue to work together for ambitious and sustainable nordic cooperation to ensure a visionary organisation on the other side of the pandemic.”
- Mads Rundstrøm
The Nordic Centre Youth will elect a new board and a new President at the Repskap online, 26 September 2020. The current Operating President Hildur Guðbjörg Benediktsdóttir (Samband Ungra Framsóknarmanna) is stepping down, after leading the work of the NCF for a year.
For more information:
Mads Rundstrøm: madsru5@live.dk or +45 42 63 90 95
“To be a part of NCF and the good work they do for the past years has been very exciting and educating for me. I’m really thankful for the times that I have had within the board. I started in 2018 with little to no clue to what I was getting into and I was not let down by it.
In spring 2019 I was a 2nd vice president but took over as operating president in the fall the very same year.”
Helsinki, 2019
“The past year has been very strange indeed. We have been facing economic problems that have raised some challenging issues for us. This is the first year in a long time of our history that we have not had a Secretary General, and it has taken some time to adapt to a new working system regarding that.
Not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic that has put everything out of order this year. Even though after all that I am very grateful for the people I’ve worked with, the board, the Member Organisations and so on, to make it as best as it could be.”
Malmö, 2019
“Once you have been active in NCF you realise how it will somehow always be a part of you, the people, the work and the whole experience – and I sure hope it will stay that way. But for an organisation to grow it needs update every now and then and I look forward to seeing some new faces that will bring in new working procedures for NCF.
NCF is a great platform to get to know Nordic politics, both within each country but also in the Nordic council and Ungdomens nordiska råd, network with people from all over the Nordics and work together in improving our future here in the Nordics. I recommend this experience to everyone, because this is a great opportunity for young people in politics.”
“everybody, be normal!” - The kind of friends you’ll get here ;)
Hildur will be moving from one Nordic city to another - Reykjavík to Copenhagen - in fall 2020 to start her studies in veterinary medicine at Københavns Universitet.
We are certainly experiencing a different times here in the Nordics due to the recent international health crisis and the continuous spread of the COVID-19 virus.
It has been the NCF board‘s unanimous decision, alongside with our Member Organisations, to postpone Repskap that was supposed to take place in Copenhagen the 18th of April 2020.
We have decided to combine Repskap with Top Meeting in late summer/fall.
As stated by many of our governments and leaders, this is a crisis we must handle with unity and patience. We will be evaluating the situation as it goes and keeping a close look on the development with the Nordic countries.
We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact via email to President@mittinorden.com.
Hope you all are well and take care,
The Board of NCF
NCF‘s annual Top Meeting was held this weekend in Malmö, Sweden.
There it was announced that Lars Myhr Sandlund, NCF‘s president will step down from the president seat.
As Lars stated in the announcement to our Member Organisations :
„After the local and regional elections in Norway earlier in September, my situation has changed a bit. I have been elected into the municipality council where I am from, and that takes up much of my time outside school and other political projects. This means that I can’t give NCF the time and attention that the organization needs in these challenging times and will therefore step down as president. But I will still be in the board of NCF and do my best for the organization!
Therefore, the board proposes that Hildur Benediktsdóttir, our 2nd vice president, will be operating president until the end of this mandate period. This will be discussed further at the upcoming top meeting. Then I want to say thank you so much to everyone that is a part of the NCF and our member organizations, I have learned so much of being your president, and I will still do my best for this organization. We are amazing! “
“I’m looking forward to our work together with our Member Organizations towards better Nordics in the future. I’m grateful for this opportunity that I’m given and promise I’ll do my best for NCF and future of Nordic cooperation. I also want to thank all of you who came to the Top Meeting in Malmö, it was filled with fun, great discussions and we all learned a lot of each other.
These are different times within the NCF but we have got through it before so we will do it again.” Hildur says.
Hildur is from Samband Ungra Framsóknarmanna in Iceland and has been on the board for one and a half year now. At Top Meeting she took over as operating President and will be until the end of this mandate period.
Top Meeting was a great success, we had people from all member organisations and had a great time. Resolutions were amended, national and international politics discussed, workshops done, reports from member organisations and UNR, got to know our fellow Nordics and so much more. Thanks to all the delegates and we cannot wait for Repskap which will be held in Copenhagen the 17th till the 19th of April this upcoming spring.
Top Meeting 2019, Malmö, Sweden
Nordiska Centerungdomens Förbund nominates Nicholas Kujala (Svensk Ungdom, Finland) as its candidate for the Nordic Youth Council presidential elections 2019 (Ungdomens Nordiska Råd, UNR). Kujala is 24 years old, and he has a long background within Nordic participation. He is currently a member of the Nordic Youth Council presidium, and he is also a member of the international committee of the Finnish National Youth Council Allianssi, where he has worked with Nordic-Baltic issues in a European context. Kujala is currently a natural sciences student at the University of Helsinki and currently serves his second term as vice president of Svensk Ungdom.
UNR has strengthened its advocacy and activity during the past year. I want to continue to build up the organization and keep up the good work, said Nicholas Kujala. As new forms of participation are continuously being formed, we need to adapt to the fast-paced changes in the advocacy world. Young people are more empowered than ever before, and we need to support the activity that they are showing within their communities. UNR has to amplify the believe of a good future that is built by the Nordic youth, said Kujala.
©UNR
"A call for a deeper and stronger Nordic cooperation has never been greater. We need a strong voice to represent our youth organisations, not only within the Nordic Council, but for all the Nordics to hear. They need to know that young people have voices to be heard and ideas for making the Nordics a better place to live. That is why we trust and support Nicholas Kujala to lead the UNR as it's President. He will fully represent and work for the vision we have for the future of our Nordic region." - The Board of NCF
The Nordic Youth Council will meet for its annual session (General Assembly) in Stockholm from October 25th until October 27th. A new president and presidium will be elected at the session.
Further information:
Nicholas Kujala
Presidential candidate for the Nordic Youth Council UNR
+358451594399
Nicholas.kujala@su.fi
Lars Myhr Sandlund (Senterungdommen) has announced that he is running for President of the Nordic Centre Youth (NCF). Sandlund is 20 years old and is currently studying history in Trondheim. He’s active in the International Committee of Senterungdommen and is the leader of his local SUL organization. He’s also on the list for Senterpartiet in Steinkjer municipality as number three in the upcoming elections, which is the largest municipality in Norway where Senterpartiet has the post of Mayor.
“The nordics are neighboring countries that share a lot of history, language, culture and values. Together we are connecting the nordics with our common history and values, and thats one of the most amazing things about the nordics. And we will continue with what for many years to come, and I’m sure that our nordic ties will just get stronger and stronger. We are amazing💚”
— Lars Myhr Sandlund, SUL
The Nordic Centre Youth will elect a new board and a new President at the Repskap in Helsinki, 26-28 April 2019. The current President Johanna Mantere (Svensk Ungdom) is stepping down, after leading the work of the NCF for three years.
For more information,
Lars Myhr Sandlund: larsmyhr0@gmail.com or +47 98466902
Johanna Mantere (Svensk Ungdom) will step down as president of NCF at the upcoming Repskap in April. Johanna has been a part of the board for three years and has lead the organisation for two years. During these years NCF has further developed both internally and externally.
“We’ve developed new ways of working. Before, the resolutions weren’t followed up effectively but now each adopted resolution get a follow-up plan and the results are communicated at the next Repskap. The board is now following a Social media strategy and working in thematic working groups on issues like the Arctic or the renewal of the Political platform. Working in an international organisation may be challenging at times, and therefore we’ve also implemented personal expectations and feedback sessions for the board.”
“During 2017 and 2018 our funding was stable and we had the possibility to develop our activities. In spring 2018, we invited the presidents and secretary generals for a Nordic Young Leaders Meeting (NYLM) in Helsinki. NYLM was a success for everyone! This is a great platform for our member organisations to share best practises, get to know each other and also learn something new. During spring 2018, NCF also visited collaboration partners and european institutions, as the Commission and the European Parliament, in Brussels for a study trip. In autumn 2019, the Board also organized an interesting Environmental seminar in Stockholm. We’ve had the possibility to bring our member organisations together and build networks on several occasions, which I’m personally most happy about.”
“NCF is unfortunately meeting some economical challenges due to lack of external finances for 2019. The current board is working hard to find new ways forward, but this situation will surely follow to the next board as one of the main issues to solve. I’m confident that NCF will find a way, as it has found one each time before.”
Johanna will finish up her Master’s degree in Public International Law and Human Rights in Finland and is currently looking for new job opportunities.
The Nordic Centre Youth have a vision of the Nordic countries being international forerunners in ecology and green technologies - and the visions do not stop there.
We should be passionate of sustainability and also set even more ambiguous goals for Nordic countries. If we think a bit further and set a bit higher goals we could end up thinking that Nordic countries should not only meet United Nations development goals related to ecologically sustainable future, but also utilize all the knowledge for economical opportunities and leave an important green mark in the globe.
In other words, advancement in ecological terms is a good start, as developing and implementing technologies within Nordic countries gives us quite much knowledge for advancing even more. But that will not be enough as long as all the improvement of knowledge has not been utilized in solving the actual ecological problems all around the world. In the end that is what makes all the difference, isn’t it?
The world has a paradoxical problem, as relatively big part of the global knowledge related to sustainable solutions and technologies is concentrated in Nordic countries, meanwhile the major environmental problems are situated in other parts of the world. And in those areas in the world which has the most problems, there are not necessarily enough people with required knowledge working on those issues. Summing these things up together, we can clearly see that there is a big potential for Nordic countries to show up and together make a shift towards greener and healthier globe.
In order to make it real, we should begin think wider and observe all the possible major challenges lying between us and those great opportunities. Definitely one of the biggest challenges in developing and implementing all the new solutions is that doing it will require a lot of funding, which is not too easy to receive, especially as many of the big solutions are actually new, and nobody knows if they work before they are developed and tested. As the investments have big economical risk, there are not too many interested people nor organization willing to invest.
But in order to solve this issue, Nordic countries could end up founding an environmental fund or several environmental funds that would solve this problem by distributing economical investments in those higher risk innovation projects, making sure the success in such an important issue would at least not depend anymore on funding. That for sure is a common interest within Nordic countries.
Juho Kekäläinen
First Vice President
Nordiska Centerungdomens Förbund
The NCF is proud to announce and welcome Albin Westermark as the new Secretary General of the NCF.
Westermark, 23, is Swedish and currently lives in Malmö. He has completed a technical preparatory year at Luleå University of Technology and will continue his studies in the same field at Lund University next spring.
Westermark has a versatile experience from different civil society organisations, where he has been active since 2014. He is currently a board member at The National Council of Swedish Youth (sv: Landsrådet för Sveriges ungdomsorganisationer), but has previously had the same position at Sverok, the Swedish gaming federation, and the international committee of our member organisation CUF.
Copyright Albin Westermark
Westermark comes from a position as the Regional Activity Coordinator at CUF and has previously worked as Administrator at the Swedish Association of International Affairs.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to continue my work towards a more liberal world, now on a Nordic level as the new Secretary General. It is exciting to be a part of NCF and I am certain that it will be an enjoyable experience from start to finish”, says Westermark.
The board was involved in the process all along, and the decision to choose Albin was based on several discussions within the board about what a good Secretary General is made of.
“For the position as Secretary General, we sought a person with versatile understanding of organisational and financial work. Albins previous experiences and knowledge will be a great asset for NCF. We welcome Albin to the team and look forward for close cooperation!”, comments Johanna Mantere, President of the NCF.
Westermark succeeds Emma Tcheng, who has had the position for the past two and a half years. Tcheng will continue to pursue her interest in Nordic cooperation, as she currently works with administration for the Nordic organisations Nordic Innovation, Nordforsk and Nordic Energy Research in Oslo. The NCF wishes her good luck in her new endeavours.
Albin Westermark will assume office the 15th of January 2019.
For further information:
Albin Westermark, new Secretary General
+46 72 212 07 28, albin@westermark.nu
Emma Tcheng, the outgoing Secretary General
+46 90 63 28 01, secretarygeneral@mittinorden.com or emma.tcheng@gmail.com
Attention Norden! Do you have a passion for Nordic cooperation? Do you have some experience from youth politics and are you are looking for a part-time position to put your organisational skills into good use? As Secretary General at the Nordic Centre Youth we offer you a an interesting and versatile job opportunity in a Nordic environment. Did we catch you interest? Keep reading and apply today!
The job
The Secretary General is responsible for the administration and economy of the organisation, as well as preparing and executing the Board’s decisions. You will also participate in, plan and organise meetings and events across the Nordics together with the Board. You will be in charge of updating our web page and oversee good communication with our member organisations, the Nordic Youth Council and other partners. In addition, you will develop the organisation in close cooperation with the President and the Board of the NCF.
You as a candidate
We are looking for an open, enthusiastic and resourceful person with excellent organisational skills. As the only employee, you must be comfortable with working independently and alone, while also being a good team player. Previous work experience is not required, but you must have been active in one of our member organisations. You must also be able to communicate in English fluently, since it is our main working language. Furthermore, you must be able to speak and write in at least one Scandinavian language (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish).
What’s in it for you
We offer you an exciting job opportunity with colleagues from all the Nordic countries and the possibility to establish a Nordic network. The position is part time, around 25 % off full time, from the beginning of January 2019. The position will give you great experience in organisational work, a lot of responsibility and an overview of the political life within the Nordics. We can assure you a sometimes hectic but fun work environment, where you will be able to travel and share memorable experiences with Nordic friends from the centre-liberal movement.
Some travels within the Nordics will apply.
Great! How do I apply?
Please submit your written application and CV no later than the 18th of November 2018 to secretarygeneral@mittinorden.com.
Interviews will take place between the 26th of November and 1st of December as well as the 10th and 16th of December. We will train you for the job during spring 2019. We hope you will be able to start after new year, but expect you to participate in the Nordic Young Leaders Meeting in Helsinki the 1st to the 3rd of February.
Quick facts
Published: 29th of November 2018
Start date: Beginning of 2019
Extent: 25%
Work hours: Flexible
Location: Anywhere in the Nordics (as we do not have an office, the job is located wherever the Secretary General is)
Salary: The Secretary General receives an emoulment of 500€ per month.
For further information
Please contact our current Secretary General Emma Tcheng or President Johanna Mantere if you have any further questions.
Emma Tcheng, Secretary General: +358 409001313 or secretarygeneral@mittinorden.com
Johanna Mantere, President: +358 40 5386699 or president@mittinorden.com
About the NCF
The Nordic Centre Youth (NCF) is an umbrella organisation for Nordic centre-liberal political youth and student organisations. The NCF was established 1965 and is today home to over 16 000 young centre liberals across the Nordics. Today, the organisation has 9 member organisations and one observer from all the Nordic countries as well as the Faroe and Åland Islands. The main objective for the NCF is to create a Nordic platform for its member organisations - both politically and culturally. Besides two annual meetings, the NCF organises educational and social gatherings. The work is overseen and executed by a Board and a Secretary General. The NCF is one of the umbrella organisations in the Nordic Youth Council, where it represents its member organisation’s political agenda.
Read more about the NCF at www.mittinorden.com or follow us on social media!
Do you feel that the Arctic issues are close to your heart or would you like to learn more? Are you interested in influencing the course of the future Nordic copperation? Apply now for your two working groups!
At the last Repskap, in spring 2018, the NCF decided to create two working groups. One of them would we working with Arctic questions and the other would prepare the work of the revision of the political program. As of today we are looking for eager participants.
The working groups will work until the Repskap 2019, after which the result of the work will be presented. The chairs of each working group are resposible for coordianting and facilitating the work of each working group.
Caught your interest? Read more about each working group below!
Chair: Niina Ojala, Finland (KeNu)
Are you interested in the Arctic area? Would you like to contribute to policy making concerning the Arctic?
The Arctic working group will discuss questions related to the Arctic, write a resolution on the topic, develop a week-long social media campaign and contribute to the political program of NCF on the Arctic.
The work of the WG can be summed in three main focus areas:
Mending a resolution on the Arctic area for Repskap 2019
Develop a week-long social media campaign with a aim to highlight Arctic questions
Contribute to and develop NCF political program on Arctic issues
We are looking for 1-2 representatives from each MO. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Niina at niina.ojala93@gmail.com.
Chair: Syver Zachariassen, Norway (SUL)
Are you interested in affecting the politics of the NCF hands on? Would you like to determine how the Nordic cooperation should evolve? Then this WG is the one for you!
The Political Program of the NCF has not been revised since 2016. Therefore, it is time to take a look at the political foundation of our organisation. The WG will revise the whole political program from topics such education and research to environment, energy and transportation. The preliminary timetable is to present a first draft at the upcoming Top Meeting where delegates are encouraged to make amendments and give comments. After the Top Meeting, the draft will be sent to the Board of the NCF and finally to the Member Organisations. The final product will be presented at the Repskap in 2019.
We are looking for one representative from each MO. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate contact Syver at sza.sp.no.
Applications to either working group should be sent to secretarygeneral@mittinorden.com no later than the 26 August 2018 at midnight!
Johanna Mantere, from Svensk Ungdom has decided to run for her second term as President of the NCF. Mantere announced her candidacy at the Nordic Young Leaders Meeting last weekend in Helsinki.
“The past year has shown that there is a political will within our organisation to work for different solutions for a stronger Nordic cooperation. I have the will and the motivation to continue leading this process. ”
“This year we’ve concentrated on our way of working within the board, renewed our statutes and developed already existing events and planned new ones. Last weekend the NCF gathered Presidents and Secretary Generals from our member organizations in Helsinki for fruitful discussions on future visions on Nordic cooperation. We believe it’s important for our member organizations to get to know and learn from each other. In a month, the NCF is going on its first study trip and physical board meeting to Brussels. It’s a great opportunity to gain more knowledge on Nordic cooperation on a global level and meet international partners.”
Mantere was elected President of the organisation a year ago at the Repskap in Helsingborg, Sweden. Besides its statutory events, the NCF will organise a second summer camp next year and continue to develop as an organisation. There is also political will to work for a stronger Nordic cooperation, a challenge Mantere is happy to accept.
“The past year has shown that there is a political will within our organisation to work for different solutions for a stronger Nordic cooperation. I have the will and the motivation to continue leading this process. Next year we will put even more concrete actions on the agenda for stronger Nordic cooperation.”
Johanna is 25 years old and has previously been the Vice President of the International Committee of Svensk Ungdom. Currently, she is finishing her master’s degree in Public International Law at Åbo Akademi in Turku, after an intense fall at the Permanent Mission of Finland at the United Nations in Geneva, where she did an internship.
The next Repskap will be held the 13-15 of April in Copenhagen. The Repskap will elect the President and the board for the upcoming year.
For more information:
Johanna Mantere
+358 40 5386699
As you may remember, back in 2016 the NCF launched a campaign called Jeg Er Nordisk. The campaign worked for a common Nordic citizenship, as we believe that deeper Nordic integration is an asset for us all, not only regionally, but also globally. We believe that it would ease a move to another Nordic country, increase a cultural exchange between the Nordic nations as well as encourage complete Nordic cooperation.
As part of the campaign, the NCF hosted an Instagram picture competition together with FNUF (Föreningen Nordens Ungdomsförbund). Contestants were asked to publish a photo with the hashtag #jegernordisk and describe what it means to be Nordic to them. We received around 100 entires, out of which a jury chose to award Ida Katajamaa 300€ for a Nordic trip! The quote below is the caption of her entry as well as the reason we decided to award her the travel money.
““Hi, my name is Ida, I am a sami and come from a small town in Northern Finland, 300 km North of the Arctic Circle. There is no university in my hometown so I moved to Stockholm after high school. Ever since I was little, I wanted to move to Norway because I love the outdoors and beautiful mountains. I found a summer job near the Geiranger-fjord three years ago. The phrase “home is where your heart is” is the best description of my feeling there. I look forward to finishing my last year at university so I can move to Norway permanently. I have no place to call home, but my heart is in Norden. So Norden is my home.””
A year later, it was finally time for the long-desired trip! Ida decided to travel to Copenhagen for som julefrokost. Here is a short travel diary as well as some picture from her trip:
"After hearing I’d won the #jegernordisk Instagram competition back in November 2016, I immediately thought I would use the price would travel to Iceland. However, like we’d say in Finnish, ”tuli monta muuttujaa” (many variables) happened, and I ended up in Copenhagen! My Norwegian friends had planned to do ”julefrokost” there, so it sounded like a perfect getaway from writing my thesis at Stockholm University in Sweden.
This weekend happened to also be the ”J-dag”, when Tuborg launched their Christmas beer. Coincidence? I got to eat my way through the city and the street food markets, get more familiar with Danish smørrebrød, taste different types of akvavit, experience my first ever julefrokost and catch up with my friends from different Nordic countries.
It really seems like wherever I go in the Nordics, the people always make it feel like home. I thought I was a wilderness and mountain person, but after my last visit to Copenhagen, I’d say I’m a Denmark person too. #jegernordisk"
The NCF hopes Ida had a fantastic time in the capital of Denmark, and hopes she will continue to explore the Nordics!
Pictures: copyright Ida Katajamaa
By Lucas Honoré and Caroline Stephansen, Board Members
The Danish local and regional elections finally took place the 21st of November, after a long and intense period of campaigning. Our member organisation Radikal Ungdom had reason to celebrate, as all of their candidates together received 8139 personal votes! Their mother party, Radikale Venstre, did as well and is today represented in 55 out of 98 municipalities across the country. The party is also well positioned in the regional councils.
Celebrations on the eve of the elections! Picture: Radikal Ungdom
Out of 35 candidates, RU was able to get 4 people elected in the municipal councils and committees. One of the lucky four, was the former chairman of Radikal Ungdom, Christoper Røhl, who is now a member of the municipal council of Copenhagen. In his campaign, Røhl mainly focused on student housing and working for a greener city. His work seemed to pay off, as he received an impeccable amount of personal votes - 1009 to be exact! Radikal Venstre also increased their representation with 23 new representatives in 13 new municipalities. The party has now nationally 80 representatives in total. Despite the fact that the party has a reputation of being an urban party, candidates have been elected all across the country, which shows potential of realising socialliberal politics rurally as well. The socialliberal movement hopes that there will be development in the education sector, better conditions for children, free psychological assistance for young people and an increase of local private enterprises in the future.
Former leader of RU, Christopher Røhl, handing out coffee with his eager campaigning team! Picture: Radikal Ungdom
While the results have been jolly, there seems to have been some bumps on the way to victory. The vice mayor of Copenhagen, Anna Mee Allersley, got in trouble for having her wedding reception in the town hall without paying an the ordinary rental fee! This, unfortunately forced her to step down, but luckily, for the party, the new vice mayor is also from Radikale Venstre. This shows, above all, that voters have succeeded on focusing on politics, rather than accidental personal scandals!
The overwhelming result of the elections is without a doubt thanks to the enthusiastic volunteers, who have worked day and night throughout the whole election period! While there still isn't any demographic data of the voters, there is a consensus that the campaign has attracted young people, who can ascribe to the core values of RU. Hard work pays off and it seems like the socialliberal movement will continue to influence the politics of Denmark, also on a local and a regional level. Important topics in the future will be the environment, education and integration.
Pictures: copyright Radikal Ungdom
By Juho Kekäläinen, Board Member
KOL, Keskustan Opiskelijaliitto (or Finnish Center Students) had its congress between 10.11 and 12.11 in Turku. This year there was around 40 participants. The setting of the congress was interesting. This year, an updated manifesto as well as a new strategy were on the agenda. Meanwhile, the fundamental values and visions of KOL raised an active discussion.
Politically, the most interesting thing KOL did, was that it changed its position towards the matriculation examination system, an unique part of the Finnish high school system, which KOL has had an opposing view on before. From the Congress 2018 forward, KOL approves that the high school national exams will continue to have an import role in the future, however, the system itself has to be developed. KOL will prepare its vision how the examination should be improved.
Elections were, like always very exciting, however, the new president was elected again (!) with only one vote difference! This indicates, above all, the quality of the competition within KOL. Two excellent candidates ran for President, but in the end it was Auli Piiparinen who came out victorious. There were no hard feelings after the election result, and the runner-up Lauri Heikkilä only showed thankfulness for the Congress. He gave an inspirational speech and bid his farewell to the organisation, where he has been for 7 years. The feeling of unity in the Congress room, after the result was announced, was truly inspiring.
To sum up, the Congress approved a new strategy for the organisation and combined with a new board, the center student movement continues united and strong. The inspiring and exciting weekend predicts great upcoming year. According to the new strategy, KOL will prepare a program of its environmental policy as well as a pamphlet of its European policy. The manifesto, in turn, calls upon KOL to strengthen its international activity. In other words, excellent news for the NCF!
Last but not least, it is worth mentioning that history was made during the weekend, as the all of the members of the new presidium are from universities of applied science. This means that KOL will probably have an even greater chance to practice politics, which will strengthen the dual model in the Finnish higher education system - meaning that universities of applied science should regain a firmer position along universities. At the very least, it is a clear statement to the current Minister of Education and Culture, who seems to prefer universities at the expense of universities of applied science. We'd like to wish KOL good luck and look forward to hear about the year to come!
May we present the board of KOL 2018! From left to right: Inna Kallioinen, Oscar Hätinen, Terhi Ala-Keturi, Emmi Paajanen, Auli Piiparinen, Eemeli Rajala, Matti Nivala, Joni Takku. Congratulations everybody! We look forward to a strong cooperation in the future! :)
A week ago, it was time for our member organisation Senterungdommen (SUL) to gather for it’s Annual Congress. With over 210 participants, board elections and over 50 resolutions sent in by members of the organisation, it was bound to become an exciting weekend! Our Vice President Syver Zachariassen was of course present. Check out his snapshots from the weekend!
Adas reaction was legendary when she was re-elected as the leader of Senterungdommen! Congratulations Ada!
Our Vice President and social media wizard Syver Zachariassen together with newly elected board member Emilie Enger Mehl and President Ada Arnstad.
CUF <3 SUL
Victor Rundqvist from Centerpartiets Ungdomgsförbund, visited the Congress and was widely applauded. Nordic cooperation at its finest!
Victor Rundqvist together with the newly elected International Leader Rikke Håkstad and President Ada Arnstad being fancy at the Congress party.
