Prime minister condemned for ‘sweet look’ comment

Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s surprising comment at the end of Wednesday’s election debate in Carré has done nothing to endear him to female voters, several newspapers report.

The remark came after interviewer Mariëlle Tweebeeke pressed the prime minister to come clean about his coalition preference. Refusing to do so Balkenende suddenly blurted out ‘you’ve got such a sweet look on your face’ to a dismayed Tweebeeke.
GroenLinks leader Femke Halsema allegedly said she would have ‘kneed him in the groin’ if the prime minister had directed his remark at her.
According to debate moderator Rick Nieman it was ‘not a wise thing to say in this day and age’.
And Margriet van der Linden, editor of feminist magazine OpZij thinks Balkenende should apologise.
Balkenende has since said he will apologise to Tweebeeke.