On February 4–5, representatives from SFS member bodies gathered in Linköping for the semester's member meeting. Member meetings are held once per semester and are an important arena for the student movement to discuss current issues, exchange experiences and shape SFS's work.
The meeting began with a welcoming speech by SFS Chairman Rasmus Lindstedt. Filippa Alesand Lundin, Chairman of Consensus, Ellen Ivarus Andersson, Chairman of StuFF, Jan-Ingvar Jönsson, Vice-Chancellor of Linköping University, and Kristina Edlund (S), Chairman of the Municipal Executive Board of Linköping, also spoke at the welcoming ceremony.
Muharrem Demirok (C) closed the inauguration, which is a great honor for SFS! One of the highlights was his promise that the Center Party will work to secure the student unions' funding in its budget motion by stopping the reduction and indexing the allocation. This is especially important as the government threatens the student unions' financial conditions with cuts in 2026.
Politics permeated the members' meeting. SFS Chairman Rasmus Lindstedt and Vice Chairman Elsa Berlin presented a current situation and analyzed the political issues SFS prioritizes, including the need to stop the erosion of university resources and strengthen the conditions for student unions. In addition, a joint workshop on messages and political influence was held, where participants had the opportunity to concretize and strengthen their advocacy work.
During the meeting, the SFS board also received input and views from the member bodies on the proposals for the SFSFUM in May.
In addition to the formal discussions, the members' meeting was also an important platform for networking and exchange of experiences between the member bodies.
It is when we come together that we clearly see the power of our commitment and our collective impact. A strong and united student movement is more important than ever!
Many thanks to the student unions in Linköping, Linköping University, our organizational unit, officials and all member unions for a well-run meeting.