Draft:Studenten voor Leiden

Studenten voor Leiden (SVL, "Students for Leiden") is a local political party in the Dutch city of Leiden. The party was founded in 2020. In the municipal elections of 2022, Studenten voor Leiden won two seats on the city council.

History
In 2019, the first plans emerged to establish a student party in Leiden due to dissatisfaction with the municipality's housing policy. In the summer of 2020, Studenten voor Leiden was founded with the aim of participating in the Dutch municipal elections of 2022. In these elections, the party managed to secure two seats in the city council. Mitchell Wiegand Bruss was their lead candidate. Former VVD alderman Pieter van Woensel was one of the supporting candidates or "lijstduwers". He had previously been involved in the founding of a similar student-oriented political party in Groningen, Student en Stad.

Ideology
Studenten voor Leiden was founded based on five core values. From these five core values emerged five key focal points, such as "increased participation, involvement, and attention for students, the recently graduated, and youth; improved housing environment; a sustainability policy; better infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and moped riders; and greater freedom for hospitality entrepreneurs."

City council
SVL currently has two seats in the city council, occupied by party leader Mitchell Wiegand Bruss and council member Elianne Wijnands. They are supported by dual municipal councillors Sophia Boomsa, David den Hartog and Cato Weggen.

Trivia
Leiden is not the only Dutch municipality with a student or youth party in the city council. Utrecht, Groningen, and Delft respectively have Student & Starter, Student en Stad, and STIP.