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Rome: A former showgirl who has become an Italian cabinet minister has admitted that you don't have to be pretty to get ahead in politics, but it helps.
Mara Carfagna, nicknamed Mara La Bella, or Mara the Beautiful, also said she was still shocked over her rapid ascent to the top of Italian politics. The 32-year-old was appointed the minister for equal opportunities last week.
The German tabloid Bild has dubbed her "the world's most beautiful minister" and the internet is buzzing with pictures and videos from her past. Although she gained a law degree in 2001, she pursued a career as a TV showgirl for six years.
However, in her first interview since her appointment, Carfagna was keen to stress that she was a woman of substance.
She told La Stampa newspaper: "Being pretty helps you make relationships quickly, and the political world is a segment of society full of male chauvinists."
"But these people do not believe women can be serious and worthwhile politicians. It is not because of my beauty that my political career draws attention."
Carfagna added: "I flit between moments of joy and moments of worry. And the worries include having to show I'm not just a pretty face and that I can also do this job well."
Silvio Berlusconi, the 71-year-old prime minister, has been a fan of Carfagna for years, and had to apologise to his wife last summer after he remarked that if he were single, he would try to marry her. Carfagna is unmarried, but has a boyfriend whose name sums up the number of her admirers, Marco Mezzaroma, or Half-of-Rome.
To underline her new-found sobriety, Carfagna has outlined a broadly conservative and anti-abortion political stance. "I am not proud of my TV career. It was not a life choice. I regret I did not discover politics sooner."
Some critics have accused Berlusconi of promoting only women who catch his eye, such as Carfagna and the flame-haired Michela Brambilla.
Berlusconi said: "They say I only allow showgirls into my party. But actually I would prefer to do other things with showgirls than putting them into politics. I have clear ideas about that!"
Analyst Franco Pavoncello said: "Certainly Berlusconi is a rich man who has grown used to having beautiful women around him. But, all of these women are in their early 30s. Promoting them is a visible way of showing that the party is undergoing generational change."
Do you believe looks can play a decisive role in a person's success? How? Have you ever witnessed someone gain benefits based on good-looks? What happened? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form below to send your comments.
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