The presence of European Students For Liberty has been steadily rising on the continent, reaching over 40 national chapters, defending liberty in their countries by hosting events, writing articles, or taking action on policy topics. Our volunteer base has increased by almost a third over the year.
As every year, we appreciate the rising stars that truly stood out from the students who joined us in the past year with the Newcomer of the Year award. Its 2026’s recipient is one of our brand new chapters, Students For Liberty Romania.
With the first members joining only last summer, the team grew quickly and accomplished a lot in a short span of time. There are now 15 volunteers, not only in Bucharest, but spread around the country – and this drive to make impact not only within the capital has characterised most of SFL Romania’s work last year.
Already their very first event was ambitious, a half-day conference in Bucharest that attracted over 60 people, covering the topic of the 1989 revolution against the brutal communist regime. The stayed true to the topic with the inaugural event of their Liberty Road event series, a road show format that truly brought the ideas of liberalism to cities across the country.
At this kick off event of the campaign, they hosted Zhou Fenguo, one of the student leaders of the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989, continuing the conversation about the fight against authoritarianism.
After that, the campaign spread outside of Bucharest, with full day conferences in Cluj, Iasi, and even Chisinau, Moldova – which now too has its own Students For Liberty chapter – with events covering geopolitics and security, economic issues and possible reforms, and much more. The largest of the events brought in over 150 attendees.
With plans in the works to expand to even more cities this academic year, the team is only just getting started.
For all the impressive outreach and network expansion they accomplished in so short a time, Students For Liberty Romania are the 2026 Newcomers of the Year.
