The Man For The Job

Silvio Berlusconi spent his first week as Italian Foreign Minister doing the sorts of things that foreign ministers do. He welcomed Spanish counterpart Josep Piqué to Rome for discussions on European integration. He gave a pep talk to a fresh batch of young diplomats in a parent-packed ceremony at Farnesina, the foreign service headquarters. And he launched an ambitious overhaul of the country's diplomatic operations, insisting that embassy staff do more to stimulate foreign trade.

Berlusconi still has another job. As Prime Minister, he requested erstwhile Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero's resignation on Jan. 5 in a spat over...