We had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with MEP Nela Riehl at the European Youth Event for an insightful conversation about her journey, her vision for Europe, and her work in the European Parliament: Riehl, a member of the Volt party and Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, shared her inspiring path from a teacher in Hamburg to a leading voice in European politics.
Your journey from a Hamburg classroom to being the Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament is quite astonishing and very inspiring: what sparked your decision to first get into politics and then become a lead candidate in the German-European elections in 2024?
Well, I joined Volt two and a half years ago because I had a feeling the world was just falling apart, and I needed to do something, just anything to stop it. I never thought of becoming a politician; I was happy with my life. I looked for a pragmatic party, one that offered European solutions, especially for climate change, and Volt was that party: I initially thought I’d just hand out flyers, never imagining we’d have five Volt MEPs in the European Parliament. It wasn’t a career step: I just wanted to help the situation. People then approached me about running for the European election, and I thought, why not, if I’m serious about doing my part: I was elected as a lead candidate and ended up here in the European Parliament. I’m very happy to be here.
Volt is broadly known for its vision of a federal Europe. What does a federal Europe mean personally to you, especially given the current times? You mentioned that you have childhood memories of border controls: this is something that, unfortunately, despite the Schengen Treaties, we are currently back at experiencing right now. What is your perspective on that?
This is exactly what I meant when I wanted my children, and my students, to have a better world: when I was a child, my father was Ghanaian, and whenever we traveled abroad, he needed a visa; there were literal borders. When that vanished, Europe felt like the land of the free, and I wanted that for my children, I couldn’t believe border controls would return. Volt never wants to see border controls within Schengen again: we strongly believe in the “United States of Europe” approach, we are pragmatic and believe we need treaty reforms to tackle common challenges, because national member states are simply too small to address issues like climate change alone. That’s why we are working to support a pro-EU discourse against parties that spread hatred and fear: European democracy is unfortunately no longer a given right.
Your father is from Ghana, and in the European elections in Germany you were the only Black candidate: being elected, you have somehow broken a barrier. How has your personal experience shaped or is shaping your work in Brussels, your fight against social injustice and racism?
As a Black person and a woman, you are always politicized; you’re always the “one and only” in a room. In my committees, I’m typically the only Black person, and out of 720 MEPs, there are only four Black people, all women. I’m used to this; I never had the privilege to ignore racism or women’s rights, as it was always part of my life. That’s what politicized me: wiith many far-right parties here, you sense a hostile atmosphere. I even get comments online saying things like, “you don’t belong in this Parliament, because you’re not European,” just by looking at me: this is something I’m unfortunately very used to. It’s important to bring this perspective here because representation matters, not just for anti-racism work, but for every committee: we need multiple perspectives, not just “white, old men in navy suits”.
You have been very vocal about a feminist foreign policy approach: what does that mean in practice, and why is it urgent for the EU? Feminist foreign policy isn’t just about having women in positions, which can be tokenism: it means a policy that is people-centered and life-friendly; it prioritizes human rights in foreign policy more than trade, which has been the past tendency. For example, looking at Russia, we see that a trade-focused approach didn’t work out: my understanding of the EU’s international responsibility is that we must learn from Europe’s violent and oppressive history. We need to establish stable, equal cooperation with third countries and strengthen their civil society, fostering democracy rather than imposing our values: women’s rights and health are central because they represent half the population, and tackling their issues is a first step to solving many other injustices.
You’ve also consistently spoken out about refugee rights and decriminalising sea rescue: how do you plan to advocate for a change in policy regarding migration rights and migration policies within the EU with such far-right voices growing right now? That’s the tough question, with the far-right spreading fear: my colleague, Anna Strolenberg, from the Volt delegation, actively travels to places like Bulgaria and Albania to witness what detention centers mean; she spreads this on social media to educate people about the real human impact of voting for far-right parties. We try to tell the truth. Personally, I’m vocal and support Anna and local initiatives in Germany: we believe migration policies need to be human-centered, and it’s also crucial to help people understand the difference between asylum and migration; Europe needs to attract talent from abroad, and in order to do that we must put away the fear.
As Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, you have often stressed the power of education and culture in strengthening democracy and human rights. What specific initiatives right now are you pushing for to strengthen democracy within the European Union and maybe in some EU candidate countries as well? Well, two months ago, I met some active youth in Lviv, Ukraine. Giving youth the chance to express themselves and engage with each other sets the ground for flourishing democracy: we need to ensure mobility within the EU for culture and education, as it broadens horizons and helps fight fear. In this regard, Erasmus+ is a key instrument we try to strengthen and increase the budget for; people prioritize security and defense funding, but I ask, “what are we actually defending if we don’t have culture and education?”. Our daily lives and the playing field for democracy depend on it. I also advocate for stronger university alliances for academic exchange, which is important for democratic resilience.
Volt, your party, is particularly popular among young voters. What can the EU do more to better engage with young voices, to convince them that European politics and European activism really matters to them? While events like the European Youth Event are great, they are limited: we need to open institutions more often to youth, making it clear they can work here. The CULT committee actively tries to include the youth perspective in every legislative process, which I want to establish as a standard “youth lens”: we engage with youth organizations and have panels for groups like the European Youth Forum to speak to us. This dialogue needs to be constant and regular.
You have cited Ruth Bader Ginsburg as one of your role models. How does her legacy inspire you particularly, and are there any other European figures that maybe do the same, that inspire your work in Brussels? Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a young mother, and her ability to achieve so much in a time when simply being a mother was considered enough for a woman empowered me: she showed me that even with limited resources, I could do something. As for European women, it’s hard to pick just one: I admire Sanna Marin, the former Prime Minister of Finland, because seeing a young woman in that position was such an inspiration.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Parliament. Neither the European Union nor the European Parliament can be held responsible for them.
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