“It is an extraordinary opportunity to start a career in the EU institutions,” said Jan Kravčík, coordinator of the government’s strategy for supporting Czech citizens heading to the EU. According to him, the state offers applicants free preparation for the selection process.
The recruitment was announced by the European Personnel Selection Office, until March 10th, people who have, or will have completed at least a bachelor’s degree by this September, can apply. Whoever succeeds in the audition gets on the list of candidates, from which the EU authorities then choose new workers.
In total, they employ over 70,000 people. “They are looking for all kinds of profiles – from agronomists to HR specialists to specialists in social networks,” pointed out Štěpán Pech, director of the Department of European Institutional and Legal Support of the Government Office. In this way, not only administrative workers, but also doctors, natural scientists or energy workers will be employed in the EU bodies.
At the same time, they do not only work in Brussels. In addition to the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, courts, supervisory authorities and dozens of professional agencies based in Luxembourg, Strasbourg or Vienna are also looking for new people.
Chances to increase representation
Czechs now have a chance to increase their share in them. Union rules allow for geographical balance – i.e. whether the member states are represented according to the number of inhabitants. In the case of the Czech Republic, the share should be approximately 3.1 percent. But there are significantly fewer of them.
Among administrators, they reach approximately two percent, for younger administrator positions around 1.5 percent. The share in middle and upper management is even weaker. At the same time, the low number is not related to the success of the Czechs in selection procedures, which is slightly above the EU average. In short, few apply for auditions.
According to Štěpán Pech from the Government Office, Czechs lack wider awareness of EU institutions as an ordinary employer.
The paradox, according to Linda Messias, who deals with the Czech representation in Brussels, is that the reputation of the Czech employees is very good. “We are seen here as reliable workers,” she said. Nevertheless, their number is not growing at a pace that would correspond to the country’s position in the union.
Poles and Slovaks have a problem
Other states from Central and Eastern Europe, which joined the EU later, have similar problems. Low representation refers to Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Baltic countries. On the contrary, Belgium, France or Italy traditionally have a strong presence in the EU structures.
“Having more Czechs in Brussels and other cities where EU institutions and agencies are located is a long-term interest of the government,” stated Kravčík. According to him, it is not just about prestige, but also about the Czech experience and perspective being reflected more prominently in the European agenda.
At the same time, a career in the EU does not only lead to big auditions. Those interested can also take advantage of short-term employment contracts, professional internships or the posting of national experts. According to the Office of the Government, this often serves as a springboard to permanent employment in European institutions.
