Spain hits back at Berlusconi's 'too pink' comment

Spain's Socialist Party has advised Italy's new Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to employ more women in his cabinet after he suggested his Spanish counterpart's cabinet was "too pink".

Women outnumber men in Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's new government line-up, which includes the country's first female defence minister. Zapatero's Socialists were re-elected last month.

"In Italy, as in Spain, there are enough women sufficiently qualified, intelligent and capable of being ministers or occupying other government posts," said Elena Valenciano, the Socialist Party's secretary for international relations.

She said in a statement that Berlusconi should respect the decisions of prime ministers of other countries and follow Zapatero's example.

"It would benefit politics and society in Italy."

Berlusconi, who won re-election this week, was earlier quoted as telling Radio Monte Carlo: "Zapatero has formed a government that is too pink, (something) which we cannot do in Italy because there is a prevalence of men in politics and it isn't easy to find women who are qualified for government.

"He'll have problems leading them," Berlusconi joked at a news conference on Tuesday, cited by the Spanish daily El Pais.

"Now he's asked for it," the conservative Italian was also quoted as saying.

His jokes and comments were widely reported by Spain's media which have recently been filled with pictures of pregnant Defence Minister Carme Chacon inspecting the Spanish troops and of Zapatero posing with his female ministers.