Readers familiar with this blog know I have admiration for many things in Western Europe compared to the U.S.—world view, mostly multiparty systems, cultural traditions, historical perspectives, more reasonable socialism, and general joie de vive.  We Americans tend to be provincial, glum, and downright obnoxious at times, especially when we’re tourists in Europe.  The phrase “ugly American” isn’t used much anymore, but I have sympathy for the Parisians as another onslaught of American tourists gets ready to head to the City of Light this spring and summer.  Retirees and others from the West Coast to East will be seen mounting the tourist buses on the Rue de Rivoli in their strange hats, Bermudas, and sneakers, preparing to invade the Louvre and Versailles with videocams rolling.

Of course, Europeans have to tolerate us.  American tourist dollars are essential to many European economies.  And not just American dollars.  I’ve seen Japanese tourists all over Europe, for example, not to mention inter-European tourism (Spanish in Oslo, Swedes in Rome, etc.).  My tourism was sporadic and crammed in on weekend getaways mostly, but even back then the European trains, planes, and tourist sites were filled with Americans.  The number and distribution of tourists fluctuates with economical times, of course, depending on economies here and there.  You can always find Americans, however, in the most popular tourist sites.

My love affair with Europe goes beyond my travels.  Yet, there’s one thing that I don’t like about some European countries—institutionalized scandal.  I’m neither puritan nor prudish, but in some European countries I wonder why the voters award their leaders’ bad behavior.  Berlusconi had a long public career in Italy, for example, and an equally long career of scandal.  Hollande, the President of France and co-Prince of Andorra, has recently joined Berlusconi’s club.  You might think my problem is with their dalliances.  But when I talk about voters rewarding their bad behaviors, I’m talking about sexist men and women who tolerate them.

Here’s my take: some European women must be obsessed with pursuing powerful figures.  Neither Berlusconi nor Hollande are Brad Pitt hunks.  What gives?  They practice cherchez la femme and they find plenty of willing women who will tolerate their machismo.  I wondered the same thing about Hillary.  Why don’t these women throw these Neanderthals out?  Maybe Bill had some looks, I don’t know, but all too often you have to wonder.

Of course, Hillary was the victim and Monica the seducer (better said, a team effort?).  In Hollande’s case, it’s hard to tell who’s the victim because he wasn’t married to either of France’s First Ladies.  I suppose you’d say long-time mistress Valérie Trierweiler is the victim and Julie Gayet the seducer, but does anyone else have a problem here?  Geez, folks, Hollande isn’t Calvin Klein’s Marky Mark (for the trivia-challenged, this is where Mark Wahlberg got his start).  In fact, being President of France isn’t a powerful position either.  The French President substitutes for a royal.

Most European countries, including England and Scandinavian democracies, let their royals do the ceremonial honors.  The Fifth Republic established the current semi-presidential system, more as a nod to Le Gran Charles, and the French president has been the surrogate king of France ever since (more on that later).  Where Italy can never seem to make up its mind about who’s in charge, the French generally think two men are (it’s never been a woman, but hardly any need to day that)—the President and the Prime Minister (if this sounds a bit crazy, it is).  The Prime Minister has most of the power; the President’s job is more ceremonial.  It’s akin to our President/Speaker of the House power bifurcation.

So, Hollande’s role is more ceremonial.  But, as Princes William and Harry in England show, male royalty often attracts female pursuit.  Nevertheless, William and Harry, and Papa Charlie in his heyday, are and were wealthy, young bachelors.  Harry even has a bit of Bond in him, given his chopper pilot skills and deployments in Afghanistan.  His North American tour showed that he enjoys a party or two also, especially the sojourn in Las Vegas.  I just don’t see how Hollande compares.

Of course, it’s unfair to put the onus on French women.  All of Latin Europe has a history of machismo and seduction.  Unlike the Taliban, they let their women go to school, but that’s about the end of it.  Unlike England, I don’t know of any important public figures or CEOs of major corporations from Latin Europe who are women.  I suppose there are some at the local level—mayors, for example, or legislative members—but powerful women in Latin Europe just don’t exist on their own.  There are no Merkels, Hillaries, or Pelosis, to my knowledge.

My conclusion is that the glass ceiling in Latin Europe is quite a bit lower than in the rest of the E.U. and certainly much less than in the U.S.  Of course, this is a cultural phenomenon, but I don’t have to like it.  And I don’t.  The reason is simple: there are many smart women around and to hold them back can’t be good for their countries or the world in general.  At the very best, Europe is squandering half its human resources.  At the very worst, it’s committing economic and cultural suicide.

I’m not sure a smart woman would want to be President of France, though.  As I said, there are many ceremonial aspects associated with that role.  For example, co-Prince of Andorra.  Traditionally, that tiny country was ruled by the King of France and the Bishop of Urgell.  With the Fifth Republic, the President of France assumes the King’s role.  There’s still a Bishop of Urgell—a fictional version figures in my new novel Aristocrats and Assassins (coming soon).  I’d like to see a woman be French Prime Minister instead.  I’m fairly certain that such a woman wouldn’t have her dalliances like M. Hollande has had.  Sexism in France seems only to go in one direction.

And so it goes….

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