Power trio destined to bring a new complexion to world affairs
THE coronation this week of Theresa May as British prime minister and the possible election in November of Hillary Clinton as US president, along with Germany’s Angela Merkel, would create a powerful sisterhood that could have a huge say in the fate of humanity.
That’s certainly something to look forward to, a delicious prospect that could change the tone and content of international relations.
A woman leading a substantial nation used to be something of a novelty. Not anymore.
And the current crop of woman leaders aren’t getting the nod simply because of their gender. They have sharp elbows. They can give as good as they get.
May walked into Downing Street a triumphant beneficiary of the Brexit debacle. Did the Brits know what they were getting themselves into? Brexit is a suicide note that will bring ruination on a scale yet to be determined. One estimate is that it will not be years but decades before Britain untangles itself from the EU.
The authors of this boondoggle, who were obviously gambling with the future of Britain in the hope of furthering their own political careers, have subsequently been destroyed or fallen by the wayside.
David Cameron, whose utter foolishness has taken Britain to the brink, left office suitably chastened — tripped by Brexit, just as Tony Blair was felled by the Iraq war. Whoever said all political careers end in tears certainly had a point.
May had power thrust on her without a vote being cast, as curious as that may be in a country dubbed the mother of parliamentary democracy. She became prime minister because she was the only person left standing. It is, in that sense, a coronation.
But then coronation is a thing the British do all too well. Queen Elizabeth is into her 13th prime minister. Incidentally, May’s curtsy seemed a tad too extravagant. Maybe she was a bit flustered. Things were happening at breakneck speed.
In any case, in this day and age, why should women curtsy while men aren’t required to? Such outdated social mores will be challenged and hopefully discredited as more women take on leadership roles.
Interestingly, Britain now has its second Conservative Party woman prime minister. The comrades on the left, it seems, aren’t too keen on, or adept at, gender politics. The Labour Party’s next leader could be a woman, if the party is able to dislodge the recalcitrant and ineffectual Jeremy Corbyn. That would leave most power in Britain in the hands of women — the Queen, the prime minister, the leader of the opposition, and the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon.
May inherits a humongous mess. Brexit has left Britain drifting, its future uncertain. No wonder Cameron was only too happy to get out. She will have to define anew Britain’s role in the world. There’s no roadmap. Only cobwebs.
Leaving the EU while at the same time trying to knit individual relationships with its member states will require some dexterity, almost akin to changing jet engines in mid-air.
For instance, how does Britain extricate itself from the union without antagonising powerful countries such as Germany or France in the process? It’s a tall order, but May may have made her assignment even more onerous by her choice of foreign secretary.
Boris Johnson, whose dishevelled appearance is an accurate reflection of how he runs his life or chooses his words, has insulted almost half of humanity. It will be interesting to see how he goes about making friends for a lonely Britain.
Across the pond, Clinton’s White House campaign is limping excruciatingly. She’s making heavy weather of what was initially thought would be an easy jaunt. The awkward embrace she got from Bernie Sanders, her Democratic challenger, should help to ease matters for her. She’ll probably win in November simply because voters will come to realise the fellow running against her is so noxious that he’d take the US — and the world — to an unhappy place.
A world with Clinton, May and Merkel at the helm will be a new experience. Three of the G7 countries would be run by women. That brings a different complexion to the conduct of world affairs. Merkel has deployed her influence with such quiet and confident assurance. She’d be an ideal model to emulate.
But woman leaders will not necessarily take less aggressive stances. Clinton has turned out to be more hawkish than Barack Obama. And, as secretary of state, she dragged him into the fracas in Libya. It was the investigation of her role in that imbroglio that led to the e-mail saga which has hobbled her presidential campaign.
Gender and ideology are obviously not the same thing. They will therefore not think alike or agree on issues simply because they are women. But their visibility, being seen wielding so much power on the world stage, will give a huge lift to the fight for gender equality.
The sisterhood certainly won’t be inclined to bend a knee to anybody. Comment on this: write to tellus@sundaytimes.co.za or SMS us at 33971 www.sundaytimes.co.za