The European Union's 2026 generalist recruitment exam has drawn a record 174,727 applicants, but the sheer dominance of one member state is raising questions about the bloc's ability to balance its workforce. Of those candidates, 79,343 — or 45.4% — are Italian, a figure that exceeds the combined total from Spain, Germany, and France.
The exam, which began on 9 November, is the first generalist competition in seven years. It offers 1,490 places on a reserve list from which EU institutions, notably the European Commission, recruit administrators. But the applicant pool's composition has reignited a long-running debate about geographic representation in Brussels and beyond.
Underrepresentation rules
The Commission has struggled for years to attract staff from certain member states. Under Article 27 of the EU Staff Regulations, a "significant imbalance" is defined as any country whose staff presence falls below 80% of its target rate, which is based on population and seats in the European Parliament. Fifteen countries currently fall short: Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Latvia.
Germany, for instance, sits at just 64% of its staffing target, while France is at 73%. In absolute numbers, Italy has 1,848 administrators in the Commission, compared with 1,571 from France and 1,370 from Germany. The Netherlands, with a much smaller population, has only 380.
To address these gaps, the Commission adopted stricter hiring rules on 6 November 2025. These require hiring managers to invite at least one qualified candidate from an underrepresented country to final interviews and allow them to favour such candidates when qualifications are equal. The measures build on joint action plans signed with the 15 member states in 2023, which included recruitment campaigns and exam preparation support — but a 2024 review found those efforts had limited impact.
The new rules apply only after the EPSO exam, at the interview stage. They do not alter how candidates are scored in the test itself, which remains merit-based. The Commission insists that no jobs are reserved for specific nationalities and that all candidates must meet the same standards.
Italian dominance and its implications
Italy's applicant numbers far outpace those of other large member states: Spain has 13,789, Germany 11,699, and France 10,939. Smaller countries like the Netherlands (2,729), Denmark (987), and Luxembourg (630) have far fewer candidates. This matters because the Commission cannot recruit from countries unless enough of their citizens pass the exam, even with preferential interview measures.
Olivier Salles, Director of EPSO, told Euronews that past competitions suggest the geographic distribution of successful candidates broadly mirrors the distribution of applicants. "However, some variations can occur, especially if drop-out rates affect different groups differently," he added. He cautioned that it is "too early to predict the geographical spread of successful candidates in this competition."
If Italian candidates pass in proportion to their application numbers, they could occupy a substantial share of the reserve list. Italy is not among the 15 underrepresented countries, so the new hiring rules would not favour them — but they could still dominate the pool from which institutions recruit.
Spain has already challenged the legality of the Commission's measures, arguing they risk discriminating against candidates from other member states. France and Belgium have supported the case. The Commission maintains that the rules are lawful and that available data does not show significant differences in pass rates between nationalities.
The upcoming wave of retirements adds urgency. Germany alone is projected to lose around 16% of its current officials to retirement, which could worsen its underrepresentation. Without new recruits from these countries, the imbalance may persist for years.
The 2026 competition's high application numbers are part of a broader trend, according to Salles. Since 2019, EPSO has seen steady growth in applications across all competitions, driven by greater promotion of EU careers, cooperation with member states, testing in all 24 official EU languages, and the accessibility of the exam to graduates from any academic discipline. Remote testing and the seven-year gap since the last generalist competition also contributed.
As the exam proceeds, the Commission will be watching closely to see whether the geographic balance of successful candidates aligns with its goals. The outcome will test whether the new hiring rules can truly reshape the EU's workforce — or whether the sheer weight of Italian applications will overwhelm them.
