More than 170,000 candidates have applied to join the Commission’s army of eurocrats through its generalist recruitment exams – roughly three times the number expected by the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO), the EU’s personnel selection office.

Yet, the surge in interest is straining EPSO’s systems, prompting a review of how to run the tests.

The exam would be the first of its kind since 2019. The EPSO has been unable to organise large-scale online exams due to the pandemic and repeated IT difficulties.

Rounds on rounds

A likely scenario is that applicants would sit the test in turns over several stages, according to officials with knowledge of the process.

Normally, the general civil service exam was designed to run over just one day, with all applicants taking the four stages in a single sitting.

Yet, the system is not geared to handle more than 170,000 applicants at once, the officials admitted. Instead, each stage could run over several days.

Stages would most likely be weeks – potentially months – apart, leaving EPSO time to catch up with potential complaints and technical issues. With only some progressing to the next stage, the bureaucratic burden for EPSO would lessen for each stage.

It is currently unclear how many stages EPSO would divide the test into.

The revamp could mean that the original timeline for producing a final list within a year now looks set to slip.

‘Better odds of winning the lottery’

Marc Planas Blanco, a Spanish-Swiss applicant who previously worked in public affairs consultancy in Brussels, says the persistent delays are testing his patience.

“It’s a very noble mission and fulfilling to work for advancing Europe and for protecting and serving its citizens,” he said, adding he has been awaiting the chance to audition for a permanent position for years.

Among candidates, the mood is cautious at best. Planas Blanco has created an informal group chat of around 50 applicants sharing tips and tricks. He said many are delaying preparation until clearer guidance emerges, discouraged by the scale of competition.

“People are a bit scared by the numbers,” he said. “Some say you have better odds of winning the lottery.”

While all nationalities saw more applicants, one nationality overshadowed the statistics. Of the around 170,000 applicants, almost 80,000 are Italian nationals.

Alessandro Causo, an Italian temporary agent in the European Parliament, said the spike reflects both structural factors and visibility.

“There’s a strong culture in Italy around finding stable employment, especially in the public sector,” he said.

At the same time, the competition circulated widely on Italian Telegram channels dedicated to public sector jobs – some with tens of thousands of subscribers – amplifying awareness far beyond typical EU recruitment circles.

(bw, mm)