The black and white shots of María Dolores de Cospedal in a smart cocktail suit appeared, to some, to represent sobriety itself.

But the photos of one of Spain’s leading conservative politicians, which appear in the December issue of Vanity Fair España, have reignited controversy surrounding female politicians who are tempted by the lure of the flashgun.

Ms Cospedal, who is Secretary General of the conservative opposition, the Popular Party (PP), is under fire for appearing in the magazine. Critics have accused her of undermining the seriousness of her position by promoting sexist stereotypes of women.

“There are more and more politicians who seemed to want their voice heard in fashion and society magazines and ... to become a model for a day,” the Spanish daily La Razon said.

Reyes Montel, a left-wing member of Madrid’s regional government, said: “I don’t want to see the minister of health posing like Claudia Schiffer.”

The debate is particularly sensitive in Spain, which last year became one of the first countries to have more women than men in the cabinet.

Ms Cospedal hit the headlines in 2006 when she chose to become a single mother through IVF treatment, a highly unusual move for a politician on the Right.

Aware of the stir her pictures might provoke, she attempted to head off criticism. “There are always malicious people,” she told Vanity Fair. “This country is full of machos.”

Ms Cospedal is not the first female politician to cause a stir in magazines. Her colleague, Soraya Saénz de Santamaría, the PP parliamentary spokeswoman, posed for a series of revealing pictures for the Spanish magazine Yo Dona (I Woman) earlier this year. She was pictured in a black, off-the-shoulder creation revealing ample amounts of thigh.

That photoshoot drew criticism from feminist groups. Jessica Fillol, from Red Feminista, wrote: “Soraya says, ‘The interview I gave is personal to show unknown aspects of my personality.’ What aspects? What her legs look like above the knee?”

The pictures have also caused Ms Cospedal and Ms Saenz’s boss, Mariano Rajoy, the party leader, some embarrassment, not least because he had condemned the participation of eight female members of Spain’s Socialist Government — half the then cabinet — in a glamour shoot for Vogue España in 2004.

He said that the picture spread of the designer-clad ministers was ridiculous and lamentable, although he described the pictures of Ms Saenz as lovely.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Spanish Prime Minister, insisted that the Vogue shoot was intended to celebrate the fact that half the 16 ministers in his cabinet were women. Bibiano Aido, Spain’s Equality Minister, and Elena Salgado, the Economy Minister, also appeared in magazine shoots recently.

Javy, writing on the website of the Spanish daily Diario Sur, drew attention to the opposition’s hypocrisy: “When the Socialist ministers posed for Vogue it seemed like a crime for women. I would be here days pointing out the contradiction of this but I won’t bore you.”

Across the Pyrenees in France, Rachida Dati posed in stiletto boots for a spread in Paris Match when she was Justice Minister, The photos attracted criticism from President Sarkozy and French judges for being out of keeping with the solemnity of Ms Dati’s post at a time when a number of prisoners had committed suicide and the judiciary was rebelling against her high-handed management style.

In Britain, Caroline Flint, the former Europe Minister, came under fire for modelling high-street clothes in a glossy fashion photoshoot — particularly as she went on to accuse the Government of treating women MPs like “window dressing”.

She said that she was “not modelling lingerie” and that the pictures were published to show affordable fashion at a time of recession.

Cover Stories

•There are six female members of the Cabinet in the UK Government.

•Caroline Flint was Minister for Europe when she posed in high heels and evening dress for a fashion shoot for a weekend supplement magazine in May. She resigned in June, accusing Gordon Brown of using her as “window dressing” while making important decisions exclusively in his all-male inner circle

•Since coming to power in France in 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy has been keen to boost the representation of women and ethnic minorities . In June 2007 Christine Lagarde became the first female Finance and Economy Minister of a G7 country.

•Rachida Dati, the first Muslim woman of North African descent to hold a major French Cabinet post, sparked a media frenzy when she became a single mother earlier this year

•President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran last week chose three female members for his new Cabinet. If any one of them is approved it will be the first time the Islamic republic has had a female Cabinet minister since the 1979 Islamic Revolution

•Mr Berlusconi is open about his preference for good-looking politicians. Mara Carfagna, a former Miss Italy contestant, is Equal Opportunities Minister while before the European elections 20 young female Italian “showgirls”.were given a crash course in EU politics. After Berlusconi’s wife, protested, the list was cut to three, all of whom are now MEPs

Source: Times database, cabinetoffice.co.uk

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