Ségo

No, not sago, the least delicious of all the comfort puddings. Ségolène Royal, affectionately referred to by her countryfolk as 'Ségo', is one of the possible candidates to become the next President of France.

I feel that you have to be an exceptional woman to even register on the radar in politics, to even be in the Presidential race in macho France is stellar. In my opinion, French women often enable Frenchmen to continue being sexist, so I cannot but admire a woman who has caught the public's eye.

An article in this Sunday's 'Observer' however, caught my eye for another reason. It was interesting, it was informative, but as the article got going it made mention several times of how sexy Mme. Royal is. (It also irritated the hell out of me for utterly failing to put any accents on her name, but that's a whole other rant).

Why? Why is this even appropriate to mention? Does anyone comment on the sexual attractiveness of Sarkozy and de Villepin? Not when I have been reading. Does a woman have to be conventionally attractive to hold a high office in a State? Angela Merkel is surprising her critics by doing a good job in difficult circumstances. I'm not sure that Andrew Hussey would find her attractive, and in many ways she does women a great service by not toeing that particular line. Hillary Clinton has had to pretty up to be taken seriously in politics. Anaconda Rice or whatever her name is could certainly be less waxed and polished.

I find it a very insidious message to be honest. On the one hand, Hussey is praising her, on the other his praise runs like this,
"....it's also easy to see how much of Royal's power is sexual. She is flirtatious, stylish and feminine in equal measure."
So how much of the praise that Hussey is heaping is real ? Is this the toadying that we expect about many pretty but sub standard women actors? Is Ségo really as good as they say or is it coloured by rose-tint? As I said, I'm more willing to believe that a woman has to be phenomenal to make it that far, but when journos open up this can of worms she will be judged later by the same.
'Oh,' they will say, 'of course she has done well, but that is because she is so lovely that everyone wishes to please her,'
or
'Oh, what a disaster, but what can you expect, she only came to power because of her looks.'

I tried to crane my neck and look at it from a different angle, which woman would I be happy to see in power in Britain? And of course I allow myself to appoint actors as well as politicians, although one of my picks, Glenda Jackson, is both.
Certainly Margaret Beckett would be on my list, perhaps not seen as having outstanding leadership skills, but you never know what might be brought out if she were given that responsibility and she has always been a damn fine minister.
Helen Mirren of course, even Dame Judi, though you may remember she caused me to frown with her recent 'Mrs Henderson' film. I wouldn't want Ruth Kelly, I've never quite understood why she gained portfolio in the first place.

My absolute top pick for today's Britain on the world stage would be Miriam Margolys. She looks as though she could run the planet in a wise mother sort of way. She has an infectious laugh and she is extremely intelligent. Maybe I should have put that first.

What of our beautiful young starlets? Yes, really, they would have to each have another twenty to thirty years under their belts to make it into my list, but given that, then I'd let in Kate Winslet, she is beautiful, clever and educated. I might even have Kate Beckinsale, after all, no-one can kick vampire and werewolf arse like she can, a damn vital skill for a Head of State.
But Keira Knightley ? I think not. I'm no fortune-teller, but I somehow can't imagine her ever being up to the task.

I would like to see Ségo have her opportunity to preside. I would be happy to see her meeting with Kanzlerin Merkel enhancing the female perspective in Europe. But I really don't care whether she sets a journo's boxers on fire. I'd just like to see more of a balance of power.