Eurasia Press & News
Only the likes of Barack Obama or Bill Clinton could apply to be advisers to Macedonian Health Minister Nikola Todorov, apparently, as the condition is having an IQ above 140.In a job announcement posted on Thursday, Macedonia’s health ministry said it was looking for seven to ten candidates to serve as policy advisers.
What has attracted attention, however, is the stipulation that they must have an IQ score of at least 140, as certified by the Mensa International IQ society.
“It was my idea,” Minister Todorov told the local media in Macedonia on Friday.
He explained that he wanted to break his predecessors’ tradition of hiring less qualified subordinates out of a fear of being outclassed.
“I have no such fears and I think we should use all the potential. If some of them [one day] take my job, even better!” Todorov told the daily Vest.
After the State Ombudsman and the Anti-Discrimination Commission expressed interest in the announcement, Todorov insisted there is nothing discriminatory in it.
However, he has admitted that a “high IQ is not a skill that you could learn but a natural gift”.
The ministry is looking for people to consult with once or twice a month about ideas on health policies, for a daily fee of €50-80.
Macedonian public servants are not usually tasked with taking IQ tests. Those scoring above 140 in such tests are commonly considered geniuses.
According to a list published by the Political Psychology academic journal, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are among few US presidents that have scored slightly higher than 140.
