The Von der Leyen case and the double fatigue of women in politics

“The protocol it was respected to the letter and we never missed our hospitality, on this as on all other occasions. The chairs were arranged according to the wishes expressed in the meeting preceding the meeting ». It is Turkey’s response to the controversy over the lack of a seat for the president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen during the visit to Ankara to the Turkish President Erdogan with the President of the European Council Charles Michel.

We discussed possible enhanced cooperation:

• Stronger economic ties
• Modernised Customs Union
• Better cooperation in migration management based on the EU-Turkey statement

But for this Turkey must respect international human rights rules & standards to which it committed pic.twitter.com/dg1mehEjYc

– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 6, 2021

However, it is not a question of protocol that of Ankara. It has long been the practice that in international meetings the president of the European Commission is treated like the president of the Council of Europe even if this would have a higher office. It is no coincidence that “the rudeness” took place in Turkey, just out of the Istanbul convention against violence against women, and that “the victim” is a woman.

“It seemed like the game in which there is always one less chair, but with a predestined victim” explains Serena Marchi author of Pink Tank published by Fandango who interviewed present and past protagonists of Italian politics. «It was predictable that Erdogan made such a move, in my opinion it is serious that we are still talking with him. There was talk of Turkey’s exit from the Istanbul Convention and, inevitably, a woman was sidelined ”.

Regardless of the color of the party, women in politics all have the same difficulties. «Their history and their paths are similar, in my book, opening a page at random, it is not clear to which party the woman described belongs» continues Marchi.

«They are all women who have struggled to reach the positions they occupy, they had to to demonstrate studies, titles and experiences, which men are not asked for. When a woman arrives in a place of power, it is immediately questioned whether she deserves it, ”says the author.

Now femininity or beauty are no longer accused, but the obstacles remain. “Luciana Castellina, parliamentarian Communist and MEP, he said that in his day women in politics had to pretend not to be women. She told me that she would have her breasts amputated just to stay in Parliament, “she adds.

The women of politics are all very determined. “They never look down and look you straight in the eye. They have made great sacrifices by giving up their lives, while men have someone who looks after their children at home. However, it is women who are the first to create alibis. The first at school, but also the first who, when they have a child, stay at home. We disguise ourselves a lot behind the maternity and behind the family. We should be less compliant. For a legacy that comes from the past we are the first to put aside the career for the family. Warriors outside more than at home ».

In Italy the problem is perhaps more marked, but it is not that in the rest of the world it does not exist. Perhaps only the countries of Northern Europe are saved, here a few years ago there were the blue quotas: men were looking for. “However, it’s not a question of odds, it’s a question of being at the tables that count”.

“What happened in Ankara is an example of this, not so much for what Erdogan did, predictable, but for Michel who did not think about leaving the chair to Ursula Von der Leyen”. She hasn’t even thought of complaining about the absence of an au pair for the president of the European Commission. Not even Von der Leyen protested at the moment, he aimed at the goal using diplomacy and perhaps managed to get people talking about this meeting that would have passed over in silence. “What has changed with this scene? Nothing for Erdogan because he has clearly shown that he does what he wants at home ».