MIX-UP

Italy Appoints Wrong Minister

Chose Canadian professor with similar name.

This probably isn’t the best way to inspire confidence in your new government. Francesco Braga, a professor in Ontario, Canada, was surprised to hear he was being called back to his former country after 28 years away to be its new junior agricultural minister. He was immediately congratulated by the Parmesan cheese manufacturers’ association, and back in Italy, the agriculture minister said that though he hadn’t met the new junior minister, he knew him by reputation. But Francesco Braga hadn’t been recommended for the job—Franco Braga had, and not even for that job, but for a post in infrastructure. Someone had found a professor with a similar name, whose expertise happened to be in agriculture, and appointed him to that post. A spokesperson for the prime minister said the real Braga had been found and would take his proper post soon. “Everything's fine. He'll take the oath. In a few days.”