Record Applicant Numbers for EU Civil Service Highlight Deepening National Imbalances

The European Personnel Selection Office is administering online testing for its latest generalist entrance competition between 9 and 13 November 2026 following a record volume of applications. Out of 174,922 candidates who registered prior to the 10 March deadline, nearly half originated from a single member state, highlighting persistent geographical disparities across the European Union civil service. The total application figure represents more than a three-fold increase compared to the previous generalist competition in 2019, which drew 22,644 applicants.

Data from the selection authority shows that 79,343 applicants, or 45.4 percent of the overall pool, submitted their candidacies from Italy. In contrast, Spain generated 13,789 applications, followed by Germany with 11,699 and France with 10,939. Participation was markedly lower in several Northern and Western European countries, with Denmark recording 987 candidates and Luxembourg submitting 630.

According to European Commission evaluations, 15 out of the 27 EU member states currently lack sufficient representation within the permanent civil service. Among the underrepresented nations listed by the Commission are the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, and Czechia. Lower average wages and persistent labour market pressures in southern European countries like Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal continue to make European administrative careers particularly attractive to job seekers from those regions.

In response to the structural imbalance, the European Commission enacted new internal recruitment guidelines in 2025 to complement existing rules that mandate broad geographical diversity. The measures require selection committees to interview at least one applicant from an underrepresented nationality for each open position and offer hiring priority when candidates demonstrate equal qualifications. While the rules permit institutions to establish specific nationality targets, setting aside posts exclusively for citizens of particular member states remains illegal under EU framework rules.

The guidelines followed targeted outreach measures introduced under Joint Action Plans during 2022 and 2023, which sought to boost vacancy visibility and candidate support in underrepresented countries while preserving merit as the primary hiring criterion. Testing for the current AD5 Generalist Competition concludes on 13 November.

Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com