Lands Top EU Post

Loacker has now secured his 27,000-euro job

Gerald Loacker has landed a well-paying EU job.(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

The EU Council of Ministers has approved the appointment: Former NEOS politician Gerald Loacker has cleared the final hurdle for his top EU post; starting October 1, he will serve as a member of the European Court of Auditors for six years. The appointment process, however, did not go entirely smoothly.

It’s now official: Gerald Loacker has also been appointed by the EU Council of Ministers as a member of the European Court of Auditors for the term from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2032. He succeeds Helga Berger.

Under the coalition agreement, the right to nominate a candidate for the post went to NEOS. The appointment process was not without its controversies: The European Parliament in Strasbourg had confirmed the candidate from Vorarlberg in early September by a vote of 331 to 282, while the relevant Committee on Budgetary Control approved him by a narrow majority of 16 to 13 votes. During the hearing, FPÖ representative Roman Haider, among others, criticized “this typically Austrian system of political patronage.” German Green MEP Daniel Freund and EPP politician Monika Hohlmeier also questioned the selection process for the nominee in his home country.

Appointment Also Controversial Here
Even in Austria itself, the appointment was anything but uncontroversial. In the local hearing, Loacker prevailed over the incumbent, Helga Berger. Helmut Berger, who was originally the top candidate and a longtime head of the parliamentary budget office, had to withdraw for health reasons. Helga Berger originally came from the Freedom Party camp. She later found support from the ÖVP, which nominated her—ultimately in vain—as a candidate for the office of President of the Court of Auditors. The fact that Berger was no longer considered for the position at the EU Court of Auditors outraged many in the People’s Party.

Gerald Loacker has snagged a well-paying EU job.(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

A combative and competent member of the National Council
Loacker served as a member of the Austrian National Council from 2013 to 2024. His work focused on budget oversight and financial control, and he was also known as a competent and combative spokesperson on social issues. The 52-year-old is a trained lawyer and most recently worked as a management consultant after deciding not to run for re-election in 2024.