WUNRN
Europe
- Female Defence Ministers Change Traditional Male Network
Ine Eriksen Søreide (
Philip Oltermann - 2 February 2014
It happened at around 3pm on Saturday, in one of
the conference rooms at
When
Hennis-Plasschaert told the Guardian: "[The
Dutch politician] Neelie Kroes once said to me that old boys' networks are the
oldest form of cartels we have in Europe.
She was right, but things are changing, and women can do similar things
now."
Her tweet with the photograph soon went
viral. To many, the image heralded a new era in which even the last bastions of
male privilege were no longer closed to talented women.
"That's how global peace can be
reached," read another comment. Others felt the photograph was less
indicative of a smashed glass ceiling than the diminished importance of the defence ministry in the
post-cold-war era.
While all four women hail from
liberal-conservative parties in northern
Hennis-Plasschaert , 40, from the
On taking office, she famously
said that "it doesn't matter if you have a willy or not" and denies
women have a common way of doing politics, or even a common experience of
becoming politicians, purely because they are all women.
"I don't think the military
officers that we work with see us any differently than if we were men,"
she said. "And if they do, they don't show it. But there is a public
debate about women taking more influential political roles, and that's
healthy."
Ine Eriksen Søreide, 37, has been
one of the rising stars of Norwegian politics since she was asked to chair
parliament's education committee at the age of 29. Having impressed observers
and colleagues with her people skills, determination and work ethic, many
believe the young politician from a humble background is destined for higher
things.
In the case of Germany's
Ursula von der Leyen, there is little doubt that a successful stint in the
defence ministry would set her up as the obvious successor to her party
colleague and current chancellor, Angela Merkel.
The 55-year-old doctor, who has
seven children, made her name as a strong supporter of parental leave during
her stint in the family and labour ministry.
After elections in September, it
was reported she insisted on taking the defence job; the male incumbent was
swiftly moved to the interior ministry to make room.
Do female defence ministers prove
to be more doveish in their roles than their male counterparts?
Not going by Von der Leyen's
comments since taking office. She has already distanced herself from her
predecessor's refusal to join military action in
At the
Her Dutch colleague too called for a more robust
European front on foreign interventions: "Reliability means that partners don't
pull out of joint military commitments at five to 12," said
Hennis-Plasschaert on Saturday.
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