SOCIETY 374 / 2018

WOMEN AMBASSADORS
INTERVIEW SAN MARINO
San Marino is one of the world´s
smallest and oldest constitutional
republics – do these facts have any
influence on today’s position of the
country in an international environment,
especially regarding diplomatic
power?
Our tradition and our experience as a country
is always influencing us – in any position we take
in the international arena. We highly value democracy,
as we have always been a republic. Human
rights are also one of our main priorities –
equality for all, women’s rights, rights for people
with disability – we are not a major power, but we
always try to support human rights in our own
“small way”.
San Marino has one of the lowest unemployment
rates and it is considered to be one of the
richest countries in the world. Does the small
size of the country help with that?
Till the 1970s, San Marino used to be a rural
and rather poor country. Then it experienced
the economic boom with prosperity and development
until about ten years ago, when we were
affected by the financial crisis, like many others.
Now we are trying to rebuild our economy, we
want to attract new investments and develop the
country. Being such a small state, it is certainly
easier to take care of our own population. Several
sectors are managed by the state, our citizens do
not have a wide variety of benefits but they get a
good quality of state provided services.
How would you describe the relations between
Austria and San Marino?
Our bilateral diplomatic relations were established
in 1987. I opened up our Embassy in Vienna
in 2008, and I have been here since then. It is a
very pleasant place to live and I am enjoying it a
lot. We do not have a rotation system in our diplomatic
corps in San Marino, so it is very easy to stay
for a longer period of time. In general, I have been
trying to develop knowledge of San Marino in Austria
and to stimulate the exchange in between the
countries.
How many Sammarinese citizens live in Austria?
There might be six – and three of them are my
two daughters and me. For now, we do not have a
very big community here and I think we also have
around the same number of Austrians living in
San Marino.
For those who aren´t that familiar with the
country – could you describe San Marino in a
few sentences?
Our foundations lie on a long-standing tradition
and profound democratic principles. It is a
very picturesque and romantic place, especially
due to our location. We are situated between the
Adriatic Sea on one side and the Apennines on
»It would certainly
improve
the world situation
if more
women were
present in the
political and
diplomatic life.
«
Elena
Molaroni
CURRICULUM
VITAE
Elena Molaroni (University
Degree in Translation,
Université de Genève) was
Minister Plenipotentiary
and Deputy Permanent
Representative of the
Republic of San Marino to
the United Nations in New
York from 1997 until 2008
and Rapporteur of Third
Committee of the General
Assembly (Human Rights)
of the United Nations in
New York. Since 2008,
she is Ambassador of the
Republic of San Marino
to Austria and since then,
she has been Head of the
San Marino Delegation to
numerous councils and
conferences. Ms. Molaroni
has two daughters.
the other side. It is a peaceful place, and people
are very welcoming and open. We have good food,
magnificent wine and excellent hospitality and
you can enjoy both: the beach and the mountains.
You are a mother of two daughters - how do
you successfully combine your career with your
family?
It is difficult, especially when you belong to
the diplomatic field and when you have to move
from one country to the other. In our case, we are
lucky because we stay for a longer period of time
but normally it is very hard to find a spouse who is
willing to leave everything behind and come with
you. Although you know that you live in a very protected
environment and associate with the highest
circles of society, there is a down side to it. The
personal life of a diplomat is a little bit less glamourous
than is generally perceived from society.
What do you think are possible advantages
of sending female Ambassadors?
I have to tell you a little story. When my daughters
were little, they once asked me: “Mum can
a man be an Ambassador?” I said: “Yes, men and
women, they can do whatever they want, they are
free to choose whatever they want. The most important
thing is to be professional and prepared.”
This is my message to my daughters.
I think women are certainly very good at multitasking,
we are more conciliatory. I believe that
more women in politics and in the diplomatic field
would certainly bring more peace to the world. We
can always find a compromise and we are always
looking for solutions. It would certainly improve
the world situation if more women were present in
the political and diplomatic life.
You are Ambassador of San Marino to Austria
since 2008. What has changed the most since then,
especially regarding female representation?
We are quite a few women – both at the UN
and at the OSCE but it is not a 50/50 yet. Since
2008, more attention has been given to the issue
of women and to gender balance and equality. I
think there is a more sensitive approach to the
issue of women’s rights but there have also been
steps backwards – not necessarily in the international
community but at national level. Many
countries have seen an increasing femicide rate
and, therefore, I think that we need to invest in
education. San Marino, together with Iceland,
co-organized “The Barber Shop Event” here in Vienna.
This name has been chosen because a barbershop
is a place where men gather and where
they could talk privately. The event was meant to
sensitize men and boys to the issue of women’s
rights and to emphasize that it should be a topic
that men can talk among themselves too. I do not
agree that women should take care of women’s
rights – I think men should also bring forward
this issue, take action and be more involved in
this topic.
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SOCIETY 2_2018 | 57