Marta Andreasen — Spanish Public Servant born on November 26, 1954,

Marta Andreasen is an Argentine-born Spanish accountant, employed in January 2002 by the European Commission as Chief Accountant, and notable for raising concerns about flaws in the commission's accounting system which she felt left the commission vulnerable to potential fraud. Elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in 2009, she defected to the Conservative Party in February 2013... (wikipedia)

As an accountant by trade, my work for blue chip companies took me all over the world.
Political parties exist to get bums on seats.
Of course, it is always nice to poll well, but if you don't get representatives elected, then what is the point?