Who said there was an incident?
In days gone by, there were clear behavioral
codes. Etiquette and decorum prevailed not only in the highest circles but also
in the human relations of ordinary citizens. There were exact regulations as to
who was to be introduced to whom first and how to greet each other. As people
moved up the social ladder, they were expected to learn polite behavior.
Although most government leaders and
politicians behave in a manner befitting their office, there are exceptions. We
saw a U.S. president pushing his way to the front of the group at a NATO summit
(2017), grinning. The same head of state greeted the wife of his French counterpart
with a sexist remark saying that she looked amazingly good for her age. How is
a woman supposed to behave in this, other than smiling in a friendly manner?
When he refused to give German Chancellor Angela Merkel the customary handshake
at the White House, she could only smile, too, although her facial expression
revealed what she thought. Not even in his interactions with the Queen did he
manage to behave according to protocol and she had to step aside. We are used
to saying, "That's just Donald Trump. What else can you expect from
him?" What I would have expected, like many others, was that he would grow
with the office as president. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.
How are women faring in the highest
offices of the male-dominated world? Queens are generally treated with great
respect. That's probably also due to the whole royal environment. Gold,
diamonds, pomp, and circumstance are awe-inspiring. But a woman like EU
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen doesn't make much of an impression.
She is not surrounded by much pomp. After all, her office is "just a
job," even if it is one of the highest offices in the European Union. We
may already be used to public figures being subjected to disrespectful remarks
on social media, even if the venom disqualifies the propagator. And yet Von der
Leyen is one of the highest political representatives of the European Union and
should be treated with respect. The office alone deserves respect. But why do
women even in such offices experience that they are not treated like their male
colleagues?
This leads to the question, how
should a woman behave who is overlooked on purpose? I cannot imagine that
Commission President Juncker would have been overlooked by an African foreign
minister at the welcoming ceremony. At the EU's summit with the African Union
on Feb. 19, 2022, Ugandan Foreign Minister General Jeje Odongo affronted
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by rushing past her to shake hands
with EU Council President Charles Michel and President Emmanuel Macron. Von der
Leyen nodded at him and stood by smiling. It would have been appropriate for
Michel to intervene and show the guest that he should first greet the
Commission President. But Michel remained silent. Instead, it was Emmanuel
Macron who saved the day: With a wave of his hand, he directed Odongo to von
der Leyen, who finally did her the honor of greeting her with a couple of nods.[1]
This reminds me of #Sofagate from
just under a year earlier at the reception of the two EU leaders Ursula von der
Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan in Ankara. In the video, they are seen walking slowly into a room where
two gilded chairs are set up at the front. To the left and right are two sofas.
Michel walks with Erdogan to the chairs and sits down. Von der Leyen stops and
we hear her say "Ääähm" when she realizes that there is no chair for
her. She then takes a seat on the left-hand sofa.
The Turkish President’s behavior was
just as impolite as that of the Ugandan minister. In the past, three chairs
were always made available when Erdogan met for talks with the heads of the
European Commission and the European Council in Brussels. It could not be an
oversight. However, Charles Michel was criticized afterward for his lack of
manners because he had not reacted. He was accused of sexism. He could have
offered the chair to Von der Leyen. It would have been interesting to see how
Erdogan would have reacted to that. Michel apologized to Von der Leyen and said
that he had had sleepless nights because of the incident. The sleepless nights
probably didn't help much, however, because it didn't occur to Michel during
the welcoming ceremony with the Ugandan minister that he should have pointed
him to the Commission president.
The Ugandan minister should also
have known how to behave respectfully. After all, he is part of the government
of Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, the first woman to hold this office in
Uganda's history. With his Twitter post showing only Michel and Macron he
indicated that it was not an accident. He made no mention of Von der Leyen. Such
a macho will probably not let himself be rebuked even by his superiors,
particularly not by his Prime Minister who is also a woman.
Apparently, the Commission President
did not take this to heart. Commission chief spokesman Eric Mamer at least, acted
as if nothing had happened. “Who said that there was an incident? Did you hear
the European Commission say that there was an incident? Absolutely not,” Mamer
said. “Please, leave the European Commission president out of this story …
Frankly, I think we should avoid making a storm in a teacup,” he added.[2]
Ms von der Leyen handled the
situation like the true professional she is. She watched as she was bypassed
without batting an eye. This time, you didn't even hear an "Ahem."
Ms. von der Leyen showed her greatness, and I wish Charles Michel had done the
same. The journalists present found the situation embarrassing, and it will be
remembered, just like the encounter in Ankara.
Irish journalist Eileen Loughlin
wrote of the incident, "Even at the top of their profession, women are
being glossed over… The European Commission’s move to downplay the snub to
Ursula von der Leyen from Uganda's foreign minister sends out a clear message
that women should continue to put up and shut up, even when they occupy
leadership roles.”[3]
It is high time to make sure that
discrimination against women is not only prohibited by laws but that it stops in
real life. If necessary, men need to see and act.
Photo: European Commission
Comments
Post a Comment