Brussels is facing opposition from nine member states regarding a proposal to increase staffing levels at the European Union’s institutions by 2,500, according to a letter seen by AFP on Friday. The proposed expansion, part of a broader EUR 2 trillion budget plan for the period 2028-2034, aims to address what the European Commission describes as a “capacity gap.”
The letter, led by Austria, argues that the planned increase in personnel runs “counter to the stated objectives of efficiency, restraint and reform.” Joining Austria in their opposition are the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden. Currently, the EU’s governing institutions employ approximately 51,000 people.
Balazs Ujvari, a spokesman for the European Commission, defended the proposal, stating that the new positions are necessary to manage a growing workload. “There is more work, more duties to deliver on, but not more staff members,” Ujvari said. “That’s exactly what we are trying to close with the new budget proposal.”
The pushback against the staffing increase comes as the EU grapples with ongoing debates over funding priorities and budgetary constraints. Austria recently lost a legal challenge concerning the EU’s rules on classifying gas and nuclear energy as “green” investments, a separate issue highlighting tensions between member states and the Commission’s policy direction.
Simultaneously, leaked files suggest the United States has been attempting to persuade four countries to leave the EU, a development that, while not directly linked to the budget dispute, underscores broader geopolitical pressures on the bloc.
Further complicating the EU’s financial landscape, Austria and Slovakia are reportedly holding up the adoption of the latest set of sanctions against Russia, demonstrating a continued divergence in approaches to foreign policy among member states. The Commission has not yet responded to the concerns raised in the letter regarding the proposed staffing increase.
