Spain's Pregnant Defense Minister Comes Under Attack
The defense minister in Spain is 7 months pregnant.
Spain's defense minister Carme Chacon reviews troops in Madrid, in a Monday April 14, 2008 file photo. In Spain some were already questioning whether Chacon, Spain's first woman defense minister, should be able to take the state-mandated 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, given the importance of her job.
(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Italian Prime Minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi mocked the Zapatero government in Spain for having more women than men on the cabinet.
AKI reported:
Prime minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi has divided left-wing commentators with controversial comments he made about the women in Spain's cabinet.
The Italian left-wing daily, Il Riformista, on Wednesday published diverse opinions about Spain's new defence minister, Carme Chacon, who is seven months pregnant.
Last week, Berlusconi said Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had appointed too many women to his cabinet, which he considered "too pink".
Speaking on Radio Monte Carlo, Berlusconi joked that Zapatero "would have problems" because there were nine women in his new cabinet.
Chacon's role as defence minister has been attacked by journalists from Il Riformista with journalist Lucetta Scaraffia claiming that the minister was "behaving like a man, and forgetting to be a woman."
A second journalist and TV producer Giovanni Minoli wrote an article in the same paper further criticising the female defence minister.
"I do not agree with her theatrical trip to Afghanistan, 'sold' as a symbol of conquest and modernity," said Minoli, a journalist and director of state-run TV station RAI Educational.
Minoli said that it would have been better and more "culturally innovative" if Chacon had sought and obtained leave from executive office for at least 10 months.
He said this would have allowed her to breastfeed the baby calmly and give her time to gradually resume her ministerial duties.
Last week Spain's Defence Minister, Carme Chacon, at 7 months pregnant, met with Spanish troops in Afghanistan. (Independent)
posted by Gateway Pundit at 4/23/2008 12:11:00 PM
8 Comments:
Berlusconi said Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had appointed too many women to his cabinet, which he considered "too pink"
Haha!! You have to love President Berlusconi, he's great!
"Spain's first woman defense minister, should be able to take the state-mandated 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, given the importance of her job."
Mandated????
That woman is also a pacifist. Smart hu? Let's make a pedophile education minister!
Spain's going down, just like Germany, Belgium and the UK. Those will be the first countrie to fall to islamofascism.
European countries are like this. They cycle beurocrats around cabinet positions that you would think they have no business being nominated to. The fact that you are a minister is what gives you the qualifications. Let them eat cake.
Anon @4:36:
Yes, mandated... heaven forbid a country actually give a new mother time to spend with her newborn.
No, it's better in the glorious US where women are permitted, generously, to maybe take 12 weeks UNPAID leave to care for their newborns, if they're lucky to work for a company that provides FMLA.
American women should thank their lucky stars they live in a country that values families so much.
/sarc off
Geez and I thought men were getting enlightened . . guess not!!
I had a baby, and within a month was putting the finishing touches on a conference that had 1800 attendees and 43 vendors. Maternity leave smaternity leave!
I love my child, but having work to concentrate on as well has made me a better mom. You should've seen us laughing like fools at dinner tonight!
Oh and don't get me on the rant about their implied - now that you've had a baby - maybe you need to stay home bit. Has anyone forgotten about how much influence women have had on settling the west??!!!
I'm sorry but I am kinda shaking my head here.
She's defense minister. If she doesn't want to do the job for 16 weeks, she should step down.
Women can do the job and do it well but not while having babies in the #1 position. She could be #2 or it could go to someone who is concentrating on their career or someone who has had their kids or she could come back from maternity leave quicker. 16 weeks away is too much for the defense minister.
(at 37 years old, what experience did she have to qualify her for the job? not much.)
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