Berlusconi not ‘pink’ enough say critics

EVEN though a former showgirl and a lawmaker once voted “Miss Parliament” are among the female ministers in Italy’s new government, critics are panning Silvio Berlusconi for not being “pink” enough.

Berlusconi managed to keep his election pledge of naming at least four women ministers, weeks after he dismissed Spain’s female-majority cabinet as “too pink” and declared it hard to find qualified women in Italian politics.

Only two women are among the 12 ministers to hold first-tier posts, taking over environment and education. The other two will look after equal opportunities and youth affairs, which are among the nine ministries without portfolio.