Welcome to In Conversation, the regular podcast of E-sharp magazine. Go to e-sharp.EU for free access to all our podcasts to date. This is Paul Adamson and I'm in conversation with Marishaika Sharca.

Mouc has just stood down from the European, where she spent 10 years as an MEP.

Marisha, when we first talked about doing this podcast, it was a while before the European elections,

but since we were recording it now, just after the European elections, it would be a shame

not to get your take on the outcome of elections as well.

And even more topically, gender equality, gender balance, at least, in the allocation of

these EU top jobs everybody's talking about at the moment.

But first things first, let's slightly walk down memory lane the past 10 years.

To be slightly provocative, the European Parliament is seen as a place where politicians go at the

end of their career to finish off a long career. It's where maybe slightly younger politicians

go because they failed to get a career, get a seat in national politics. It's a place where even

younger politicians go because they want to use it as a launch pad or stepping stone, whatever the

metaphor is, to a career in national politics.

I don't think any of those three scenarios apply to you.

So what inspired you all those years ago, 10 years ago now, to actually stand as a candidate for the European Parliament, as opposed to national politics, for example?

Yeah, well, it is indeed an interesting time to reflect, right, after 10 years in Parliament

and with the new Parliament coming in.

And I actually believe that there are more people like me at the time who run because

they truly believe in public service and in the things that they want to change.

So the reason why I wanted to participate, never expecting

to get elected the first time I tried, was because then I was worried about the rise of the far

right, which was already happening. It's not a 2019 phenomenon. It was going on for a long time.

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