Why people want a job at the European Commission — and why so many end up miserable

The Commission is one of Brussels' most coveted employers. Inside, officials describe mounting pressure, bureaucracy and burnout.

By SEBASTIAN STARCEVICin Brussels

Illustrations by Natália Delgado/POLITICO

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans dream of landing one of the European Commission’s coveted civil service jobs, with around 170,000 people applying for just 1,500 entry-level positions at the EU institutions earlier this year.

Yet for many who make it inside the EU executive, the reality falls well short of the dream.