How do you become a diplomat in Europe? While the reform project of the senior civil service worries the Quai d’Orsay, we present the situation of three countries with different traditions.
- In the United Kingdom, the “very Oxbridge” Foreign Office
Members of the British diplomatic service are often seen as a separate, hand-picked elite. “There is a very ‘Oxbridge’ atmosphere [Oxford-Cambridge], with a lot of networking ”, explains a former employee, who requires anonymity and preferred to join a university job. He notes that starting salaries are quite low (around 35,000 euros per year) and that it often takes a decade before getting a first job abroad: “It attracts those who already have the money. “
To enter the Foreign Office, in particular the prestigious “Fast Stream”, reserved for the best elements, it is generally necessary to go through the competition organized by the Civil Service Commission. This is common to the entire public service for the written tests, but is separated between officials and diplomats at the level of oral interviews.
The candidates come from a pool a little larger than in France, notes Peter Ricketts, former British Ambassador to Paris, who has spent his entire career at the Foreign Office: “Because there is no ENA-type preparation system, applicants either come directly from universities or apply after several years of another career. “
Another way to officially enter the diplomatic service is to obtain a post in the Foreign Office recruited by simple application, to work there for two years, then to apply for official tenure.
The Foreign Office has been under strong budgetary pressure for a decade to reduce the wage bill. Abroad, more and more positions are provided by local recruitments, rather than expatriates. And if there hasn’t been a starting window as such, many don’t get the promotion they want or the job they are applying for, and in the end, end up leaving.
- In Spain, a poorly received reform project
In Spain there is only one course to become a diplomat: the very traditional Spanish Diplomatic School (ED), founded in 1942. It is entered by competitive examination, and for that you need a university degree. The number of places varies according to the needs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Only 37 places were called in 2021, 35 in 2020.
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