Wallström laments lack of women named for top EU jobs
Only men's names have been put forward for top positions being created in the European Union, Commission Vice President Margot Wallström lamented on Friday, the eve of International Women's Day.
"Not a single woman's name has been mentioned. What we hear is that a discussion took place somewhere and it was only men's names that were mentioned," she said in an interview with leading Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter.
Wallström, who is also commissioner in charge of communication, said the recruiting process boiled down to men-only negotiations where women were excluded.
She called for more transparency and said there should be at least one woman candidate for one of the top EU positions.
The Lisbon Treaty calls for the creation of a new EU president and foreign minister.
All four names currently making the rounds are men.
Those seen as possible contenders for the job of president are former British prime minister Tony Blair, the chairman of the Eurogroup of finance ministers Jean-Claude Juncker, and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has been cited as a possible candidate for the foreign minister post.
Wallström said there was no shortage of capable women in Europe, mentioning German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Italy's European Affairs Minister Emma Bonino.
She reiterated that she herself was not interested in any new high-level political position, either in Brussels or back home in Sweden, but added that the "the door is never totally closed."
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"Not a single woman's name has been mentioned. What we hear is that a discussion took place somewhere and it was only men's names that were mentioned," she said in an interview with leading Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter.
Wallström, who is also commissioner in charge of communication, said the recruiting process boiled down to men-only negotiations where women were excluded.
She called for more transparency and said there should be at least one woman candidate for one of the top EU positions.
The Lisbon Treaty calls for the creation of a new EU president and foreign minister.
All four names currently making the rounds are men.
Those seen as possible contenders for the job of president are former British prime minister Tony Blair, the chairman of the Eurogroup of finance ministers Jean-Claude Juncker, and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has been cited as a possible candidate for the foreign minister post.
Wallström said there was no shortage of capable women in Europe, mentioning German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Italy's European Affairs Minister Emma Bonino.
She reiterated that she herself was not interested in any new high-level political position, either in Brussels or back home in Sweden, but added that the "the door is never totally closed."
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