HYY’s Board for 2026 appointed by the Representative Council
NEWS
In its meeting on 27 November 2025, the Student Union’s Representative Council appointed Emil Aarnio from UH Greens as the chair of the Board for 2026. Aarnio has served as the vice chair of HYY’s Board this year. Seven other members were also appointed to the Board.
‘I wish to humbly thank the Representative Council for its trust in me. The upcoming year will be another exceptional year in the Student Union’s history, and the Board appointed now includes diverse expertise to help us navigate any challenging situations we may face. Even though the upcoming year will be marked by difficult losses for many, we will also finally get to have genuine prospects for the future and start building new kind of student culture, which will hopefully be stronger than before. The proper kickoff for this process will take place on May Day when HYY finally gets to crown Manta again’, Aarnio, the newly elected chair, comments on his appointment.
‘Students still need a strong student union to advocate their interests even during the changes in our premises. Students have only got the stick for the entire duration of the current government term. One of our tasks next year is to thoroughly prepare for the 2027 parliamentary elections. The student movement must succeed in its advocacy work in these elections to finally put a stop to all this misery’, Aarnio continues, describing the advocacy work for the upcoming year.
HYY’s Board for 2026:
Chair Emil Aarnio (UH Greens)
Delila Belahcen (HYAL)
Nikola Eerola (Independent Left)
Juuso Försti (HELP)
Olli Jalonen (Independent Left)
Minea Lundström (SNÄf)
Iida Niva-Vesala (Student nations)
Helmiina Toivo (HYAL)
From left to right in the photo: Helmiina Toivo, Delila Belahcen, Minea Lundström, Iida Niva-Vesala, Emil Aarnio, Nikola Eerola, Juuso Försti, Olli Jalonen
Representative Council groups had nominated one candidate for the position of chair of HYY’s Board and 11 candidates for the Board itself. According to HYY’s Constitution, the Representative Council elects the former of the Board, who is authorised to make a proposal to the Representative Council on the composition of the Board, selecting 7–13 members for it from among the candidates for the Board.
Further information
Emil Aarnio
Chair of the Board 2026
050 344 3730
