Theresa May becomes the second British female prime minister and Conservative Party leader on Wednesday, following in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher. She also follows the lead of several other women heads of state around the world.

In an editorial in The Washington Post, it is claimed that the ascension of May, who emerged after Prime Minister David Cameron resigned and all the other Conservative Party candidates dropped out, is no coincidence.

“Women often come to power in times of crisis”

That’s the conclusion of the Post, which says Great Britain is in crisis following its vote to leave the European Union. And Britain isn’t the first to turn to a woman in troubled times.

The Conservatives aren’t alone in choosing a woman as leader during moments of crisis or defeat. Thatcher was selected as leader in 1974, after the party had lost two elections in a row. After their incumbent prime ministers died or left office because of illness, the Labour Parties in both Israel and Norway put women in charge: Golda Meir in 1969 and Gro Brundtland in 1981. After her predecessor was tainted by a corruption scandal, in 2000,Angela Merkel took the helm of the German Christian Democratic Party, which had lost power in 1998. More recently, Denmark’s Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Finland’s Jutta Urpilainen came to power when their parties were out of office and losing support.

The editorial is the most fawning support for a conservative leader by The Washington Post in years, maybe because its authors are hopeful it’s a harbinger of a Hillary Clinton presidency. But by the authors’ own argument, Clinton shouldn’t then be the next president because Democrats are already in control of the White House.

A party’s election losses are hardly the reason to hire a woman, but assume that it’s true more women come to power when their party is out of the executive office — by that logic, Republicans should really have nominated a woman this year. At the same time, Democrats would have picked a man.

Also assume that May is coming to power because she’s the most competent, not because of her genetic disposition or the assertion that the entire voting electorate is sexist because it expects women to “clean up” the messes left behind by men. Would that were the case, there would have been a lot more women executives by now.

Nonetheless, what will May stand for? How will she lead? Will she be Thatheresque or Clintonite?

The U.K. Telegraph has some quotes to guide readers to learn more about May, and reaches back into the annals to find some choice bits.

On Conservative Party reform

October 7 2002 to party conference in Bournemouth, when party chairman:

‘There’s a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies. You know what some people call us – the nasty party…

‘We need to reach out to all areas of our society. I want us to be the party that represents the whole of Britain and not merely some mythical place called “Middle England”, but the truth is that as our country has become more diverse, our party has remained the same.’

On Europe

Apr 25 2016 at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in central London:

‘Britain can and often does lead in Europe: the creation of the single market was driven by Mrs Thatcher, the competitiveness and trade agendas now pursued by the Commission were begun at the behest of Britain and Germany, and I can tell you that on matters of counter-terrorism and security, the rest of Europe instinctively looks towards us.  But it shouldn’t be a notable exception when Britain leads in Europe: it must become the norm.’

On poverty and the welfare state

Aug 27 2009 to Policy Exchange when work and pensions spokeswoman:

‘Tax credits do not help people get better jobs; in fact they can create poverty traps that actually disincentivise people from working more hours or finding better-paid jobs.

‘Solving poverty is also about aspiration and skills rather than giving people extra financial help. And solving it is about tackling educational failure, antisocial behaviour, debt problems and addiction, and of course it’s about work.

‘High levels of worklessness have not only created pockets of serious poverty but have crushed the aspirations of whole communities, changing social norms from hard work and discipline to antisocial behaviour and idleness.’

Those are just a few of her stances. Read many more of Theresa May’s quotes at The Telegraph.