Malta is only EU state without female MEP

Reuben Micallef

Jun 11th 2009, 09:04

@Mr Formosa.......I think you have missed the surname Abela Baldacchino on the PL side

if that is the case and ok it does happen ,when voting I would like to have the best person represent me(irrelevant of sex) not because they are top on the ballot paper.Both parties had very valid female candidates and on both sides we had women doing well almost till the very end,therefore I doubt that most people voted for male candidates thinking the females are less capable.
Maybe a study should be carried out on this,just like the parties and the media do their polls,asking for the party of preference,in this case given both are capable would people vote for a male or female candidate?

Anna Borg

Jun 11th 2009, 08:43

In reply to Mr Formosa's comment, I want to point out that the first person on the PL list was actually a woman.

Noel Cutajar

Jun 11th 2009, 06:54

@all - I do not agree with such silly comments that Maltese society is backwards or whatever other comments were used. 20% of the votes (50,000 votes) of the Maltese electorate gave their first preference to all the Maltese women candidates. Consider this as well...the number of women participating in the election were just: 8!! There were 34 candidates...that means 20%. I think that voting was what it was.

Alfred Cassar

Jun 10th 2009, 22:32

@ Anthony Formosa

Actually there was a female with her surname starting with an A and she wasnt elected.

The thing is that a huge number of Maltese are still a bit reluctant to give a job, which normally or traditionally is more linked to a man, to a woman.

There were a number of valid females on the list on both sides. So the choice was ours. I personally voted for a woman.

J. Bonnici

Jun 10th 2009, 22:23

I put the blame solely on women voters in Malta. There are enough female voters to elect more then one women to the EP. More then half of the Maltese electorate are women. But if women do not trust women in power......do I need to say more?

P. Zammit

Jun 10th 2009, 21:47

I t is not politically correct to say this but many Maltese women don't vote for other women not only because they are probably jealous of other women's bid for success, but because they find handsome men like the elected MEPS too hard to resist - many will always bypass a perfectly valid woman if a dashing candidate wants their vote too . Whether he merits the job or not doesn't even come into it.

The only time you see Maltese women prefering a woman over a man is when they need a hard hitting lawyer who will send their cheating husbands to the cleaners isn't it ?

lgalea

Jun 10th 2009, 21:38

Anthony Formosa
What about Abela Baldacchino Claudette?
Wasn't she on top of the list?

Charles Sammut

Jun 10th 2009, 21:22

@ Anthony Formosa

Abela Baldacchino Claudette

You don't get ahead of that easily, alphabetically speaking. In fact thousands of PL votes started with 1 at the top and continued all the way down in numerical order. 50+% of voters are women. And still Ms Abela Baldachhino was not elected. That is why people are allowed to express their preferences. Those who can read, and think, choose who they think is most suited.

Dr. John Zammit

Jun 10th 2009, 20:52

If one goes in the European Parliament website and see the European Parliament results of each and every member state one not only see that Malta has no women MEPs and 100% men but also see that Malta is the only country that has MEPs in two political groupings only and that in the other groupings Liberals, Greens, Nordik Greens etc, Malta is not represented.

It is a pity, yes that Maltese women are not represented in the European Parliament and this also goes to Maltese MEPs in the other political groups. I told you "free your mind - think European" but the Maltese are still too ignorant to understand the European political system and now we have to wait for another five years ha! ha! ha!. Do we learn after another five years?

K. Pullicino

Jun 10th 2009, 20:45

Equality doesn't mean you choose men and women.

Equality means choosing the best people regardless of whether they are men or women.

Anthony Formosa

Jun 10th 2009, 19:35

If these was a female candidate whose surname begins with an A or a B, be sure that she would have been elected. The way how preference voting is done needs some more strategy by all political parties, if they want a female to be elected.

albert leone ganado

Jun 10th 2009, 19:35

It is a real shame that no woman MEP was elected.
Both Roberta Tedesco and Marthese Portelli on the PN side and Marlene Mizzi and Claudette Baldacchino on the PL side would have done us proud.
Unfortunately Europe will after this vote deepen their suspicion that we are a male dominated society and that there is gender discrimination in our small island.
However I have a sneaking suspicion that amongst other considerations it is the womanfolk of this country which does not give the expected level of support to their own gender. It might be that s they are envious of successful women who can balance traditional female roles with successful and onerous political and public involvement .
Authorities have also not been very forthcoming. Why not have a woman nominee for the ECJ .

adrian aquilina

Jun 10th 2009, 18:08

everyday you can see the evidence of how backward the mentality of most of maltese society is.
this is just more proof