The Casual Sexism of Juncker
We all have someone in our lives that occassionally makes us feel uncomfortable. The friend that thinks every occasion calls for a hug or the acquaintance who doesn’t seem to know the definition of personal space. I think the entire nation feels uncomfortable on the behalf of the Prime Minister when she finds herself in the company of Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission. Also known as the man who found himself at the end of a “robust” discussion with Theresa May today over whether he had called her “nebulous”. Even with this incident aside, there’s no shortage of examples of Juncker’s casual sexism towards the Prime Minister — and other women around him.
Juncker isn’t your creepy friend who forgets their manners and oversteps. He’s the Commissioner of the European Union. He’s a public figure. He has a duty to conduct himself in a manner befitting his office. Instead, he acts like a teenage boy with an ever present tenancy to be physically possessive of any woman that shares his company.
While there is no shortage of examples of his often unusual behaviour towards women — such as shaking the hair of a woman that greeted him today — it has been examplified in his conduct towards Theresa May over the past 36 hours.
After having checked what I said yesterday night, she was kissing me — Jean-Claude Juncker, during a press conference today, following footage of a “robust” discussion with May
During yesterday’s EU summit meeting, Juncker was photographed pulling May in to kiss her cheek in an action uncomfortably alike to a headlock. In the footage of their “robust” discussion today, where the Prime Minister took him to task for apparently calling her “nebulous”, Juncker could be seen with his hand firmly on May’s arm. Possessive — having to feel physically in control over his female companion — even when being rebuked by her for his previous behaviour.
Juncker’s casual sexism is not limited to mere physical actions. In a joint press conference with Donald Tusk today, Juncker said that once the apparent confusion around his use of “nebulous” was cleared up, that “she was kissing me”. His words reflected the behaviour of a teenage boy more than the President of the European Commission. Juncker should have said, “we agreed to move on” or “she accepted my apology for the confusion”, but he used language which demeaned the Prime Minister to something as frivolous as kissing.
What does Juncker see when he looks at the women around him?
I honestly don’t want to know.
What is equally as shocking as Juncker’s behaviour, is how often it goes ignored by the mainstream media.
The hypocrisy of the sisterhood allows powerful men like Juncker to continue their sexist behaviour because the women its being carried out towards are not the “right” sort of women, so the #MeToo generation have no problem turning a blind eye to it. Or worse even, to mock the woman at the receiving end of it. If another man — such as Nigel Farage, Donald Trump or Mike Pence — was to behave in such a manner, the entire internet would be hounding them to apologise for their behaviour.
Kindly Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, keep your hands off our Prime Minister.
