Clegg profiles across the pond

By NewsHound | Mon 26th April 2010 - 12:55 pm

As a sign of our new found success, it’s intriguing that some American blogs are starting to talk about Nick Clegg as well.

As an example, here’s the Daily Beast:

For good or for ill, Clegg is certainly different. Part of his distinctiveness stems from his family background. His mother is Dutch, his father half-Russian, a combination that led the reliably right-wing Daily Mail to describe him as “by blood the least British leader of a British political party.” His paternal grandmother, an aristocrat, fled Russia at the time of the revolution.

Clegg speaks five languages and once worked for the European Commission. In Brussels, he met Miriam Gonzales Durantez, the daughter of a Spanish politician, whose exotic looks are described as “a cross between Penelope Cruz and Sophia Loren,” by Pippa Harris. The couple married in Spain in 2000.

Much of the review follows a very well trodden path – ski instructor, Cleggover, intelligent wife, cactus inflagrante, yadda yadda. So perhaps more of note can be found in the comments:

The parallels to Obama really are quite striking–young intellectual, international background, attractiveness tempered by family man reputation, abrupt surge in popularity, an affinity with celebrities and trendsetters. I wonder if we’ll be seeing these kind of young, hip, multicultural leaders in other countries as well.

Also, lucky for the Brits that they can actually have a viable third party. Even if he won’t be PM, Clegg seems poised to wield formidable power after the election. I will watch his career with interest.

4 Comments

Alec 26th Apr '10 - 2:00pm

>> His paternal grandmother, an aristocrat, fled Russia at the time of the revolution.

The family get-togethers with the Milibands must be interesting.
Andrew Suffield 26th Apr '10 - 3:45pm

Good grief, what sort of person writes about the way his wife looks?
Terry Gilbert 26th Apr '10 - 5:13pm

Churchill’s mother was American.
Frank H Little 27th Apr '10 - 10:22am

Helen Mirren is half-Russian, and she has assumed National Treasure statue.