Brussels – Europe and the Arabs

"Anywhere but Brussels": This was the headline of the daily *Playbook* newsletter in Brussels, which reported that European Commission officials are rushing to apply for a range of prestigious posts opening up within the EU’s diplomatic network in the coming months. These include the roles of Head of the EU Delegation to the UN in New York and Head of the EU Office at the OECD in Paris, according to two EU officials who spoke to *Playbook* (the European edition of the American publication *Politico*). The newsletter added that this surge in applications—described by one source as a "gold rush"—coincides with reports of staff discontent and frustration, as well as anticipated budget cuts within the Commission; staff have been asked to prepare scenarios for potential cuts of up to 40% to the EU’s overall development budget. This move also reflects an ongoing struggle for influence and authority between the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, and the European External Action Service (EEAS), led by Kaja Kallas, regarding the future of the EU’s foreign policy.
Officials explained that, amidst the threat of budget cuts and staff complaints about shrinking autonomy within a highly centralized Commission, the prospect of leaving Brussels—with its gloomy, rainy weather—for distant postings has become more attractive than ever. These senior roles offer perks such as free housing and support staff. ...has passed.
Did you wish you were there? Around 30 key positions within the European External Action Service (EEAS) global network—comprising some 145 missions—will become available in 2027. Notable among them are the roles of Head of the EU Delegation to Mauritius, Deputy Head of Delegation in Beijing, and Head of Delegation to Saudi Arabia.
What is striking here is that the list of applicants includes senior Commission officials—holding ranks as high as "Director-General," the highest civil service rank below the level of politically appointed Commissioners—as well as prominent national diplomats, according to officials.
However, this presents a thorny challenge: managing the massive staff rotation process for the EEAS is a key task facing its new Secretary-General, Kajsa Ollongren. She assumed her role on September 1 but has not yet appointed a successor to the outgoing head of resource management; currently, two officials—Elsa Fenet and Olivier Bailly—are overseeing the recruitment process. Ollongren is currently midway through a tour of European capitals, with plans for over 15 stops—including a visit to Warsaw last Friday—aimed at gathering ideas regarding EU foreign policy.
A new official takes the helm: The new Secretary-General made a strong impression during her debut appearance before the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper)—the body comprising member-state ambassadors—according to reports... ...two European diplomats. She is part of a new leadership team at the European External Action Service (EEAS) alongside David Cvach, France’s former ambassador to NATO (now Deputy Secretary-General for Peace, Security, and Defence), and veteran Estonian diplomat Matti Maasikas (Deputy Secretary-General for Geoeconomics and Joint Institutional Issues). "Ollongren is taking her time to determine whom she can trust and to understand how the system works," one official said.
Next step: Following the initial screening of applications, formal interviews are scheduled for December and January.
Bottom line: The European Commission may be winning the turf war with the EEAS, but its staff are more eager than ever to trade working at EU headquarters (at Schuman) for the excitement of working in overseas delegations.