Romania’s prime minister Victor Ponta is hoping his newest appointment for the post of Minister of Education will prove a more informed choice than his previous attempts. After the first was run out of the the job on charges of mere incompetence, his second pick was accused by academics from Japan, Taiwan and Israel of plagiarising their work. Ponta hopes to get to the bottom of why this position is proving such a sensitive one, and why it’s repeatedly attracting unwanted attacks, but he’ll probably be content if his current nominee, Liviu Pop, is up to the task. Pop has risen to power as a trade union leader.
