The aesthetic scrutiny of female politicians and the Reyes Romero case

Why is the appearance of a 57-year-old politician still news?

How much does a wrinkle weigh in the career of a woman in public life? The case of Reyes Romero, a leader of Spain's far-right party Vox, suggests it still weighs far too much. At 57, the politician has become the target of a wave of comments that prioritise her looks over any policy proposal. The scene, repeated in every corner of the internet, exposes a double standard that public debate has yet to resolve.

Appearance as a battlefield

Comments about Romero's looks range from outright catcalling to demands that she turn to hairdressers and makeup to "hold on" a few more years. Some commentators even speculated that she had six years of presumed good looks left. Nobody discussed her political decisions or her proposals. Only her age and her appearance.

The episode adds to a long tradition of scrutiny of the bodies of women who enter politics. While men are judged on their ideas or their performance, women continue to be assessed on their wardrobe, their faces and their age. Age in particular becomes a weapon: at 57, a man is "experienced"; a woman is "stunning", as was said on that occasion.

A problem that doesn't age

The case might seem anecdotal, but it is not. Women's exposure to aesthetic standards has measurable effects on their careers: it pushes them to invest time and money in their image, and punishes them as time goes by. The irony is that while people debate whether Romero is still "attractive", no one asks whether she should be. Perhaps that is the key to a conversation Europe has yet to settle.