Spain’s female politicians hit out at Italian prime minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday after he described Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zaptero’s new Cabinet as “too pink.”
Elena Valenciano, the ruling Socialist Party’s secretary for international relations, urged Berlusconi to follow Zapatero’s example and give women a prominent role in his Italian Cabinet, saying “it would benefit society and politics.”
“In Italy, as in Spain, there are enough women who are sufficiently qualified, intelligent and capable of being ministers or occupying other government posts,” she said.
Berlusconi, re-elected for a third time this week, was quoted earlier as saying Zapatero’s new Cabinet — which for the first time includes more women than men — was “too pink.”
Berlusconi added this is something “which we cannot do in Italy because there is a prevalence of men in politics and it isn’t easy to find women who are qualified for government,” the Spanish daily El Pais reported.
“[Zapatero] will have problems leading them,” the left-wing paper quoted him as telling a news conference on Tuesday.
It also features the new position of minister for equality, which was filled by 31-year-old Bibiana Aido, Spain’s youngest-ever Cabinet minister.
“It’s obvious that women are as prepared as men to take on political responsibilities,” Aido told reporters when asked about Berlusconi’s comments.
Infrastructure Minister Magdalena Alvarez said Berlusconi’s remarks were “absolutely inappropriate” and “an offense” to both women and men.
“There are many women who would never belong to a government led by Berlusconi,” she said.
Zapatero’s decision to stack his Cabinet with women was also defended by one of his stauchest critics at home, Esperanza Aguirre, the conservative head of the regional government of Madrid.
“One of the best things which the prime minister has done is nominate so many women in this government,” she said.
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