Through the hiring of 2,500 new civil servants

Secret plan: Around 12,500 new EU luxury pensioners

Minister Claudia Bauer is fighting back against the Commission’s plans.(Bild: BKA/Wenzel)

First, it was a secret EU plan for 2,500 new positions. Then came the cool response from Brussels. Now the bill is on the table—and it runs through 2073. The new civil servants for the EU Commission would also increase the number of EU luxury pensioners—with consequences running into the billions.

Everyone has to save, but not Brussels? This question has been at the heart of the debate over the next EU budget for months—as reported by the “Krone.” First, the EU Commission’s plans to create as many as 2,500 additional civil service positions in the 2028–2034 financial framework sparked outrage. Then, despite criticism from several countries, Brussels stuck to this course and coolly rebuffed the initiative from Austria. Now the discussion is taking on a new dimension: as new, previously secret figures show, the current plans would have costly long-term consequences.

Consequences running into the billions
Austria’s Minister for European Affairs, Claudia Bauer, warns in an interview with the “Krone”: “Anyone who creates new EU jobs today is passing the bill on to taxpayers for decades to come.” She continues: “More bureaucracy must not become tomorrow’s pension burden.” Specifically, she is alluding to sensitive calculations that experts from EU member states presented in a very small circle as recently as mid-May: Eurostat presented supplementary calculations on the long-term pension costs of EU staff.

The controversial point: The calculation takes into account precisely those 2,500 additional positions planned for the next EU financial framework. According to the figures, additional pension expenditures of at least 1.026 billion euros are expected over the forecast period through 2073. In other words: What is planned today as a staff increase will burden EU budgets for decades to come. As is well known, Brussels officials have their own, extremely lucrative pension systems. Retirees can receive up to 70 percent of their final base salary, meaning a top official could receive a pension of around 9,000 euros per month. A situation that could soon become—and remain—costly for all member states. 

Around 12,500 new EU luxury pensioners
In its addendum, Eurostat explicitly forecasts an increase of 2,500 active EU staff members between 2028 and 2030. According to the report, the number of pensioners in the system is expected to rise from 30,495 in 2023 to 43,032 in 2073—an increase of 41.1 percent. Eurostat does note that earlier reforms will have a dampening effect in the long term, and annual pension expenditures (in 2023 prices) are projected to fall from 2.418 billion euros in 2023 to 1.989 billion euros in 2073. But another point is now politically decisive: additional positions mean additional follow-up costs. And these do not end with active service.

European Affairs Minister Bauer (ÖVP) was not going to let this slide. On Tuesday, she met with Commissioner Serafin in person in Brussels—and addressed the pension issue directly. “Anyone who creates new EU jobs today is passing the bill on to taxpayers for decades to come. More bureaucracy must not become tomorrow’s pension burden.” The message from Vienna is the same as before—but more forcefully underscored: Anyone who talks about higher administrative spending and new jobs must also be honest about the long-term follow-up costs.

Of course, the strict austerity measures must also apply internally!

Claudia Bauer

Credibility is at stake
Bauer’s stance remains clear: Europe needs a modern, efficient administration—but not automatically more bureaucracy. Her words from the last exchange with Brussels still hold true: “This is about the EU’s credibility.”

She continues to have the backing of Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and the Czech Republic. What began as a polite letter has long since turned into a full-blown budget dispute—and with the new Eurostat figures, the critics have fresh ammunition. Because the debate is no longer just about whether Brussels needs more staff. It’s also about who pays the bill for it—today, tomorrow, and even in 2073.