Why are Commission staffers so miserable? - Brussels Playbook Podcast

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[00:01]
A
Good morning. It's Thursday, August 6th, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast. The vibe in Brussels today is burnt out as we ask, why do so many people working at the Commission end up so miserable? Also on the pod, last week's Ceuta crisis has revived a pretty interesting question. Why does Spain still hold territory in North Africa? And the introduction of a new weight loss pill in Europe is sparking yet another transatlantic spat. I'm Zoya Shevdolovic and with me today is one of our policy editors, Sarah Wheaton. Hey, Sarah.
[00:39]
B
Hey, Zoya. You must be looking forward to a break.
[00:42]
A
Ooh, I am looking forward to sitting on a beach, drinking wine and eating Pinterest. What about you?
[00:48]
B
I am just here in empty Brussels for two weeks hoping that stores will be open.
[00:53]
A
Judging by what happened the last few days, I think you're going to be struggling to get your lunch order put in.
[01:00]
B
Hungry. Sarah Summer.
[01:04]
A
Sarah, Our first story today is a super interesting one and I think one that'll hit home with at least some of our listeners. It's one from our colleague Sebastian Starchevich, who's been speaking with Commission officials, looking at the data and what he has found is that the European Commission is not a very happy place to work for a lot of people.
[01:23]
B
No, I mean, look, the pressure is pretty high and it's getting higher. There's also tons of bureaucracy. As the head of the Commission's largest staff union put it to Seb, he said, quote, the conditions are more and more difficult. There's more and more workload, which means more and more pressure. At the same time, there are all these global crises. People feel like, you know, with all this extra pressure, every file matters. But at the same time, they have to go through all this like bureaucracy and approval to actually like finish their work.
[01:53]
A
And yeah, and I was reading through this article and it's very interesting the sorts of things that people say. I mean, there's some stuff that's just like stressful job stuff. When you've got a high powered, high paying job like these folks do, it's kind of expected that you're going to be working a lot of things and your hours might be long.
[02:09]
B
Life and politics.
[02:10]
A
Exactly. And you and I, it's not like we're working short hours, Sarah. But then some of the stuff in here is pretty eye opening because it isn't really normal. So Seb has spoken with Commission officials working in cabinets of the European commissioners who've told him about being screamed out. There was one person who said that they Got punched in the face by their boss at like the pub after work one night, which, I mean, that really was stunning.
[02:38]
B
The EU is supposed to be a peace project, guys.
[02:41]
A
Yeah, it is.
[02:41]
B
Violence is never the answer.
[02:43]
A
And this stuff, you know, this is the kind of dichotomy because everyone does want a commission job in this town because of the pay, because they're looking at taking home 6,000, 7,000amonth before allowances. Not even taxed. Well, not taxed in Belgium at least, which is very high taxing. And this is just for these 85 jobs. These are the graduate entry level administrator roles. So it's very, very good money, great job security conditions.
[03:09]
B
So it's prestige and it's where, you know, if you believe in the European Union and you want to do important things.
[03:17]
A
Yeah.
[03:17]
B
Get paid well to do important work that, like, fulfills your values.
[03:21]
A
Yeah. And there's so many bars that you've got to jump over in order to get this job. You've got to do cognitive testing, you've got to do exams. There are months worth of processes and interviews and so forth. So there's a lot kind of riding on it. It takes a lot to get in. But then you get in there and you realize, well, things might not be as rosy. And one of the things that Seb points out in his story is a lot rides on who your boss is. And there are some bosses who are lovely, some bosses who are less lovely. And one of the things is that there is a complaint process in place. As of recently, actually only since 2024. The commission ended up appointing an anti harassment chief who can handle complaints. And this person reports to Pyotr Seraphin, who's the Budget Commissioner, but that that person has received since September 2024, 960 reports from colleagues feeling harassed from alleged harassers, witnesses, managers and HR correspondents.
[04:17]
B
Yeah. And I mean, this person oversees a team of 40 counselors who are supposed to work across the Commission and the executive agencies to deal with these workplace conflicts. But, you know, this is just kind of an informal, why can't we all just get along type of thing. If you actually want to make a formal complaint with legal implications, then staff have to go to this official office called the Investigative and Disciplinary Office or to the Anti Fraud office. Olaf. The Commission receives around 20 to 25 of those a year, so really pales in comparison to the level of kind of anger that we're seeing.
[04:51]
A
Yeah, yeah. It is important to say that the Commission disputes that it's a particularly unhappy institution. So they told SEB that an internal survey found that 74% of staff rated the commission an attractive employer. And that's up 6.6 percentage points since 2023. And a spokesperson said that they're committed to being a modern, respectful and attractive place to work. And we should say that the EU executive is actually undertaking its first major workplace review in several decades. And that's also being led by Seraphin. Anyway, Sarah, I would love to hear from our listeners. If you're working in one of these institutions, if you experienced any bullying or issues, harassment and so forth, please Send us a WhatsApp you can do a voice note or a message. Of course, we won't use your name if you don't want us to, but let know what your experience has been or, you know, if you love it and you think these people are just whingers, let us know, too. Sarah, for our second story today, it's a super interesting one. We've been talking on this podcast all week about the migrant crisis in Ceuta, which is the Spanish exclave in North Africa. But what it has raised questions around is the status of SATA and Malia, which is the other Spanish Spanish exclave in Northern Africa, what their status is and what the relationship with Spain is. And essentially who's going to come to Spain's aid should Morocco decide that? Actually, it would quite like these territories. Yeah.
[06:18]
B
And, and Itura Hernandez Morales, our colleague, really kind of unpicked all of this. I mean, look, right now this is like another really problematic headache for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. This particular issue kind of flared up the differences in the Spanish approach to migration versus Italy and Denmark. He has a different approach to China. He's been recognizing Palestinian statehood kind of, you know, out ahead of other countries on that. And then the US is pretty annoyed with Spain over NATO and Spain not doing as much NATO spending. So, like, if Morocco was like, yeah, you know what? We have these two kind of little cities that are on our, you know, are next to our territory, and we'd like to take them back. Like, if Morocco tried to do that by force, like, who would help Spain?
[07:06]
A
Yeah. And this is the thing, because Spain does find itself a bit isolated now, we should say that NATO did actually affirm in 2024 that Malia and Ceuta are covered under NATO's Article 5 umbrella. So should Morocco decide that it might go in and try to take those, then in theory, Article 5 gets triggered. But in practice, if we look at what's happened before in this region and in Fact, there's a very direct kind of comparison that we can make, which we will make in a sec. It's been complicated, to say the least.
[07:41]
B
Yeah, I mean, look, this is something that is causing serious concern in Spain. On Monday, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said during a press conference that these towns are not to be touched. Everyone must be very clear. She said that Spanish editorial integrity and sovereignty are not up for debate. But national newspapers are drawing comparison with this previous event that you referred to, Zoya. It's called the green March of 1975. And Spain actually used to hold an even bigger territory, what was then called the Spanish Sahara. Spain had planned to give the region independence in 1975, but instead Morocco sent 350,000 people to March peaceably into this territory and basically claim it for Morocco. And so this is now the Western Sahara. It's basically still disputed today, but Morocco claims to own it. And the US has now backed up under the Trump administration, the idea that it is part of Moroccan territory.
[08:39]
A
You know, I've been checking out some of the editorials in various kind of Moroccan royal family aligned papers. Does in some ways have its sights set on Sauta and Malia. But what we should say, you know, you mentioned this U.S. trump administration kind of shift. There's another interesting thing that it all points out, which is that there's a particular congressman, US Congressman Mario Diaz Bella, who has actually said in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Espanol that Celia and Malia are in Moroccan territory and actually questioned whether they are part of Spain or should be part of Morocco, then also actually submitted a congressional report saying similar. So this Moroccan thing has some backers. Morocco has some backers in the US as well. And I think that's another reason why Spain is so nervous.
[09:31]
B
Yeah. And I mean, look, the, the reality is that these are, you know, Spanish
[09:35]
A
colonial holdings, but they go back a long way. Yeah.
[09:38]
B
I mean, Ceuta from 1668 and Melilla from 1497, they are fully integrated parts of Spain. You know, they are unequivocally Spanish. At the same time, you know, you do need to go through an ID check to get onto mainland Spain. But at the same time, our European country is going to be like, yeah, we're going to stand up to a Washington backed Morocco to protect Spain's colonial holdings.
[10:05]
A
I don't know.
[10:05]
B
I think there's reason to be concerned in Madrid.
[10:07]
A
I don't know. I don't know. So, Sarah, our third story of the day, it's about Novo Nordisk. It's this Danish pharma company that's behind Ozempic and it's announced that it's going to be bringing its brand new weight loss pillow to Europe. It's currently making jabs and you can get the jabs here, but you haven't been able to get the pill so far.
[10:30]
B
Yeah. So the Wegovy pill, it's said to potentially be a blockbuster. I mean, just in the UK alone, 300,000 Brits have started using it just three weeks after it's launched.
[10:42]
A
I mean, that's huge.
[10:43]
B
Yes.
[10:43]
A
So many people three weeks after. And this information is from this earnings call, I think, that one of our reporters was covering the other day, where they basically said, look, this is our expectation for the European market. Yeah.
[10:55]
B
And I mean, it's already out in, also in the United States and the United Arab Emirates, 1.5 million people are already on this Wegovy pill. And so it's expected to really be a blockbuster when it comes to Europe. And the first country that it's going to be available in is Germany.
[11:11]
A
That's kind of the long and the short of it. But really this story is less about weight loss pills and more about the fact that this is yet another place where the EU and the US administration under Trump are not seeing eye to eye.
[11:23]
B
Exactly. So Trump is mad because European countries tend to pay less for new medicines than the US does.
[11:31]
A
And that's because the reason why European countries pay less for the medication is because they have purchase power, because they've got large national health services that buy products on mass and negotiate these contracts en masse. In the US very different system, privatized individual insurance companies and so forth. Doing the negotiations.
[11:50]
B
Exactly. So Germany tends to be a first stop for drug companies. It's a powerful negotiator. And the thing that's really interesting about this earning call that our colleague Dominic Cummings listened to is Novo didn't say how much they're gonna charge for it, but they basically said they were gonna charge the amount that they wanna charge and ignore what Trump has requested. He has told pharma companies that they need to implement this so called most favored nation status, which basically means like giving the US like some of the best prices that are available. And Novo's like, no, no, we're not going to bother.
[12:22]
A
And the reason why they're not going to bother. I mean, this is kind of an interesting element in and of itself is that they know that this is going to be a huge product for them and they want to get people hooked. Nice and early, nice and easy, before they might see some other alternative pills come onto the market, and then there might be competition.
[12:41]
B
Yeah. And look, this is kind of a big issue that applies to a lot of. Of medicines, a lot of innovative drugs. And it's an issue where there's sort of unity across party lines in the US Is this frustration that despite being, you know, pretty much the richest economy in the world, the US Cannot command lower drug prices, whereas Europe gets to benefit from it. And so, you know, you've seen unity from Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders on this issue, but ultimately, European negotiating power is still helping it win out at the same time. Well, it's winning out on drug prices at the same time. As we've just been discussing, this convenient weight loss pill has been available in the United States for longer than Europe. So in the US if you can afford it, you might get it first, whereas in Europe, you might have to wait longer, but your government will help you pay for it, and the drug companies will probably negotiate a lower price.
[13:34]
A
Hmm. And in terms of what Trump might do about it, I mean, just last month, the US Launched a trade probe into what it called Germany's persistent underpayment for innovative pharmaceutical products. And basically, we'll see how that pans out. That's where the pressure is coming from. And there are other places as well. I mean, Donald Trump famously does love to impose tariffs on countries, so that's always an option for him. Hey, Sarah. That's about it from us. But yesterday we spoke about geographical indications, and we asked people for their favorite one. And we got a message from Alicia from Poland, who says she loves osipic, which is a salty smoked sheep cheese made specifically in the Tatra Mountains region of Poland.
[14:18]
B
Well, I was just in that region, actually, on the Slovak side, and just the cherry situation in the whole area is excellent.
[14:27]
A
Are they sweet cherries or sour cherries?
[14:29]
B
Whatever I had definitely had sugar added to it.
[14:32]
A
I dream of sour cherries in Ukraine, in the Carpathian Mountains, which is where I'm from, they had the most stunning sour cherry trees. My grandfather had a tree in his backyard. Oh, you've made me nostalgic, Sarah. Anyway, before we really get out of here, Sarah, what's coming up from the weekend tomorrow?
[14:51]
B
So we have one more new episode before we go on summer break, and it's one that we hope will set you up for your summer break. It's our annual books episode. Zoya, you even provided one of your recommendations for us.
[15:03]
A
I did two, Sarah. So I'm intrigued as to which one they'll use.
[15:06]
B
All right, so you gotta listen tomorrow. And then also for our interview, we speak with somebody who will be very familiar in Brussels, Guy Ver Hofstadt, former Belgian prime minister and former mep. He's written a new book called called Defeating Trumpism, and he describes a growing frustration with how liberal democracies are governed. And he has some proposed solutions that can help counter the global rise of populism. So lots to digest in in the Weekender.
[15:34]
A
Interesting. And then, folks, we're going to be off until the 24th of August. That'll be our first week back. But in the meantime, there will be some episodes from the archives that you're going to be dropping.
[15:44]
B
Exactly. So the new book episode and then two archives, archival favorites to revisit.
[15:49]
A
Oh, fun. Folks, that's about it for me. Actually, while I'm on holiday, I would love to come back to just a heap of new reviews on Spotify and on Apple podcasts because we are still languishing below 1000 and I would just love for there to be more.
[16:04]
B
Sarah Zoe, you're giving people vacation homework. You already said the vibe is burnt out.
[16:10]
A
That's it for me. See you folks. Sam.

Summary7 min read

Brussels Playbook Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Why are Commission staffers so miserable?
Date: August 6, 2026
Host: Zoya Sheftalovich
Guest: Sarah Wheaton

Overview

In this August 6 episode, host Zoya Sheftalovich and policy editor Sarah Wheaton unpack why many European Commission staffers are experiencing burnout and unhappiness, despite the institution’s prestige and generous pay. The discussion draws on new reporting about workplace stress and harassment inside the Commission. The episode also dives into Spain’s uneasy relationship with its North African territories following the Ceuta migrant crisis, and closes with analysis of the EU-US spat over the launch of Novo Nordisk’s new weight loss pill.

1. The Misery of Commission Staffers

[01:04–04:55]

Key Points & Insights

Widespread Discontent: The European Commission is described as an increasingly difficult place to work, with high pressure, swelling workloads, and intensifying bureaucracy.
Toxic Work Environment: Beyond expected stress for high-powered jobs, some officials recount disturbing workplace abuse, including being “screamed at” and even physical violence at after-work gatherings.
- Notable quote:
  
  "There was one person who said they got punched in the face by their boss at like the pub after work one night, which, I mean, that really was stunning."
  — Zoya Sheftalovich ([02:22])
- "The EU is supposed to be a peace project, guys."
  — Sarah Wheaton ([02:38])
Draw of the Job: Despite this, Commission roles remain heavily sought after due to high pay (6,000–7,000€/month for entry roles, with little taxation in Belgium), job security, and personal alignment with EU values.
- "Everyone does want a commission job in this town because of the pay ... Not even taxed. Well, not taxed in Belgium at least, which is very high taxing. And this is just for these 85 jobs."
  — Zoya ([02:45])
Tough Entry, Uncertain Outcome: The tough selection process (cognitive tests, months of interviews) raises expectations, leading to disappointment if workplace realities are harsh.

Institutional Response

New Anti-Harassment Infrastructure: Since 2024, the Commission has an “anti-harassment chief” overseeing a team of 40 counselors. Since September 2024, 960 reports have been received—a striking figure compared to only 20–25 formal complaints per year through traditional disciplinary channels ([03:56]–[04:16]).
- “If you actually want to make a formal complaint with legal implications, then staff have to go to this official office...The Commission receives around 20 to 25 of those a year, so really pales in comparison to the level of kind of anger that we're seeing.”
  — Sarah ([04:37])
Commission’s Defense: The Commission disputes the characterization as “unhappy,” citing their survey where 74% rate it as an attractive employer (up 6.6 points from 2023). There’s also an overdue workplace review underway.

Listener Callout

Zoya encourages listeners who work in the EU institutions to anonymously share their experiences via WhatsApp:

“Let [us] know what your experience has been or... if you love it and you think these people are just whingers, let us know, too.”
([05:17])

2. Tensions over Ceuta and Melilla

[05:18–10:07]

Key Points & Insights

Ceuta Crisis Context: The recent migrant crisis in Ceuta refocuses attention on these Spanish territories in North Africa and the strategic dilemma they pose for Spain and the EU.
- “If Morocco tried to do that by force, like, who would help Spain?”
  — Sarah ([06:59])
Spain’s Isolation: Spain’s differing stances on migration, China, and NATO contributions (and related US frustrations) contribute to Madrid’s sense of geopolitical vulnerability.
NATO Protection—But in Practice?:
- “NATO did actually affirm in 2024 that Malia and Ceuta are covered under NATO's Article 5 umbrella ... But in practice, if we look at what's happened before in this region... it's been complicated, to say the least.”
  — Zoya ([07:06])
Historical Parallels: The “Green March” of 1975 is referenced, where Morocco peacefully marched into Spanish Sahara, now Western Sahara—a territory the US (under Trump) recognized as Moroccan.
- “Spain had planned to give the region independence in 1975, but instead Morocco sent 350,000 people to March peaceably into this territory and basically claim it for Morocco ... still disputed today.”
  — Sarah ([08:00])
US Political Maneuvering:
- US Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart has openly questioned Spain’s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla and backed Morocco’s claims—a sign of transatlantic divisions ([08:38]).
- “This Moroccan thing has some backers. Morocco has some backers in the US as well. And I think that's another reason why Spain is so nervous.”
  — Zoya ([09:16])
Colonial Legacy: Despite being fully integrated into Spain since the 17th and 15th centuries, Ceuta and Melilla are now a diplomatic sore point, raising the question:

“Are European countries going to be like, yeah, we're going to stand up to a Washington backed Morocco to protect Spain's colonial holdings?”
— Sarah ([09:50])

3. The EU-US Weight Loss Drug Showdown

[10:07–13:53]

Key Points & Insights

Novo Nordisk’s Next Move: The Danish pharmaceutical giant is introducing its highly anticipated Wegovy weight loss pill to Europe, beginning with Germany.
- “Just in the UK alone, 300,000 Brits have started using it just three weeks after it's launched. ... In the United States and the United Arab Emirates, 1.5 million people are already on this Wegovy pill.”
  — Sarah ([10:30–10:55])
Transatlantic Tensions on Drug Pricing:
- Trump administration’s frustration: EU countries pay less for new medicines than the US. Zoya and Sarah explain Europe’s strong bargaining position thanks to large public health systems and block procurement.
  - “...European countries pay less ... because they have purchase power, because they've got large national health services.”
    — Zoya ([11:31])
Germany as Test Case: Novo Nordisk won’t comply with the Trump-backed demand for “most-favored nation” pricing, opting instead to leverage European negotiation.
- “Novo didn't say how much they're gonna charge for it, but they basically said they were gonna charge the amount that they wanna charge and ignore what Trump has requested... they're not going to bother.”
  — Sarah ([11:50])
Broader Implications: The US cannot command lower drug prices even as Europe does, frustrating both Trump and progressive US politicians. Yet, the trade-off: faster access in the US (at higher prices), versus European price negotiation (but longer wait times).
- “You've seen unity from Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders on this issue, but ultimately, European negotiating power is still helping it win out.”
  — Sarah ([12:40])
Potential Trade Tensions: The US recently launched a trade investigation against Germany for “persistent underpayment” for innovative medications. The situation could escalate to tariffs—another classic Trump move.

4. Listener Feedback, Summer Break, and Teasers

[13:53–16:10]

Listener Message: Alicia from Poland shares her favorite geographical indication product: oscypek cheese from the Tatra Mountains.
Upcoming Content:
- Friday’s annual “books episode” with Zoya’s reading recommendations.
- Weekend interview with Guy Verhofstadt about his new book “Defeating Trumpism,” focused on tackling populism in Europe.
- Reminder: Podcast goes on break until August 24, with “archival favorites” running in the interim.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

“The conditions are more and more difficult. There's more and more workload, which means more and more pressure. At the same time, there are all these global crises. People feel like, you know, with all this extra pressure, every file matters.”
— (Head of Commission Staff Union, as quoted by Sarah) [01:23]
“Violence is never the answer.”
— Sarah ([02:41])
“If Morocco tried to do that by force, like, who would help Spain?”
— Sarah ([06:59])
“So in the US if you can afford it, you might get it first, whereas in Europe, you might have to wait longer, but your government will help you pay for it, and the drug companies will probably negotiate a lower price.”
— Sarah ([13:09])
“I dream of sour cherries in Ukraine, in the Carpathian Mountains, which is where I'm from, they had the most stunning sour cherry trees.”
— Zoya ([14:32])

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Start Time |
|---------|-----------|
| Commission staffers’ misery | 01:04 |
| Institutional responses & staff feedback | 03:50 |
| Ceuta crisis & Spanish territorial worries | 05:18 |
| NATO, the US & Morocco’s claims | 07:06 |
| Novo Nordisk pill and EU–US drug pricing spat | 10:07 |
| Listener messages and summer break | 13:53 |

Tone & Style

The episode balances serious reporting with conversational banter and occasional dry humor, all delivered in the clear, engaging style characteristic of the Brussels Playbook team. Zoya and Sarah maintain a brisk pace, candidly sharing both data and behind-the-scenes color.

For Listeners

A revealing, context-rich look at EU workplace culture, the geopolitics of Spain’s North African enclaves, and the politics of transatlantic medicine markets—all in under 16 minutes.
Recommended for anyone following EU affairs, workplace trends, or health policy.

Loading summary

Transcript55 lines

[00:01]
A
Good morning. It's Thursday, August 6th, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast. The vibe in Brussels today is burnt out as we ask, why do so many people working at the Commission end up so miserable? Also on the pod, last week's Ceuta crisis has revived a pretty interesting question. Why does Spain still hold territory in North Africa? And the introduction of a new weight loss pill in Europe is sparking yet another transatlantic spat. I'm Zoya Shevdolovic and with me today is one of our policy editors, Sarah Wheaton. Hey, Sarah.
[00:39]
B
Hey, Zoya. You must be looking forward to a break.
[00:42]
A
Ooh, I am looking forward to sitting on a beach, drinking wine and eating Pinterest. What about you?
[00:48]
B
I am just here in empty Brussels for two weeks hoping that stores will be open.
[00:53]
A
Judging by what happened the last few days, I think you're going to be struggling to get your lunch order put in.
[01:00]
B
Hungry. Sarah Summer.
[01:04]
A
Sarah, Our first story today is a super interesting one and I think one that'll hit home with at least some of our listeners. It's one from our colleague Sebastian Starchevich, who's been speaking with Commission officials, looking at the data and what he has found is that the European Commission is not a very happy place to work for a lot of people.
[01:23]
B
No, I mean, look, the pressure is pretty high and it's getting higher. There's also tons of bureaucracy. As the head of the Commission's largest staff union put it to Seb, he said, quote, the conditions are more and more difficult. There's more and more workload, which means more and more pressure. At the same time, there are all these global crises. People feel like, you know, with all this extra pressure, every file matters. But at the same time, they have to go through all this like bureaucracy and approval to actually like finish their work.
[01:53]
A
And yeah, and I was reading through this article and it's very interesting the sorts of things that people say. I mean, there's some stuff that's just like stressful job stuff. When you've got a high powered, high paying job like these folks do, it's kind of expected that you're going to be working a lot of things and your hours might be long.
[02:09]
B
Life and politics.
[02:10]
A
Exactly. And you and I, it's not like we're working short hours, Sarah. But then some of the stuff in here is pretty eye opening because it isn't really normal. So Seb has spoken with Commission officials working in cabinets of the European commissioners who've told him about being screamed out. There was one person who said that they Got punched in the face by their boss at like the pub after work one night, which, I mean, that really was stunning.
[02:38]
B
The EU is supposed to be a peace project, guys.
[02:41]
A
Yeah, it is.
[02:41]
B
Violence is never the answer.
[02:43]
A
And this stuff, you know, this is the kind of dichotomy because everyone does want a commission job in this town because of the pay, because they're looking at taking home 6,000, 7,000amonth before allowances. Not even taxed. Well, not taxed in Belgium at least, which is very high taxing. And this is just for these 85 jobs. These are the graduate entry level administrator roles. So it's very, very good money, great job security conditions.
[03:09]
B
So it's prestige and it's where, you know, if you believe in the European Union and you want to do important things.
[03:17]
A
Yeah.
[03:17]
B
Get paid well to do important work that, like, fulfills your values.
[03:21]
A
Yeah. And there's so many bars that you've got to jump over in order to get this job. You've got to do cognitive testing, you've got to do exams. There are months worth of processes and interviews and so forth. So there's a lot kind of riding on it. It takes a lot to get in. But then you get in there and you realize, well, things might not be as rosy. And one of the things that Seb points out in his story is a lot rides on who your boss is. And there are some bosses who are lovely, some bosses who are less lovely. And one of the things is that there is a complaint process in place. As of recently, actually only since 2024. The commission ended up appointing an anti harassment chief who can handle complaints. And this person reports to Pyotr Seraphin, who's the Budget Commissioner, but that that person has received since September 2024, 960 reports from colleagues feeling harassed from alleged harassers, witnesses, managers and HR correspondents.
[04:17]
B
Yeah. And I mean, this person oversees a team of 40 counselors who are supposed to work across the Commission and the executive agencies to deal with these workplace conflicts. But, you know, this is just kind of an informal, why can't we all just get along type of thing. If you actually want to make a formal complaint with legal implications, then staff have to go to this official office called the Investigative and Disciplinary Office or to the Anti Fraud office. Olaf. The Commission receives around 20 to 25 of those a year, so really pales in comparison to the level of kind of anger that we're seeing.
[04:51]
A
Yeah, yeah. It is important to say that the Commission disputes that it's a particularly unhappy institution. So they told SEB that an internal survey found that 74% of staff rated the commission an attractive employer. And that's up 6.6 percentage points since 2023. And a spokesperson said that they're committed to being a modern, respectful and attractive place to work. And we should say that the EU executive is actually undertaking its first major workplace review in several decades. And that's also being led by Seraphin. Anyway, Sarah, I would love to hear from our listeners. If you're working in one of these institutions, if you experienced any bullying or issues, harassment and so forth, please Send us a WhatsApp you can do a voice note or a message. Of course, we won't use your name if you don't want us to, but let know what your experience has been or, you know, if you love it and you think these people are just whingers, let us know, too. Sarah, for our second story today, it's a super interesting one. We've been talking on this podcast all week about the migrant crisis in Ceuta, which is the Spanish exclave in North Africa. But what it has raised questions around is the status of SATA and Malia, which is the other Spanish Spanish exclave in Northern Africa, what their status is and what the relationship with Spain is. And essentially who's going to come to Spain's aid should Morocco decide that? Actually, it would quite like these territories. Yeah.
[06:18]
B
And, and Itura Hernandez Morales, our colleague, really kind of unpicked all of this. I mean, look, right now this is like another really problematic headache for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. This particular issue kind of flared up the differences in the Spanish approach to migration versus Italy and Denmark. He has a different approach to China. He's been recognizing Palestinian statehood kind of, you know, out ahead of other countries on that. And then the US is pretty annoyed with Spain over NATO and Spain not doing as much NATO spending. So, like, if Morocco was like, yeah, you know what? We have these two kind of little cities that are on our, you know, are next to our territory, and we'd like to take them back. Like, if Morocco tried to do that by force, like, who would help Spain?
[07:06]
A
Yeah. And this is the thing, because Spain does find itself a bit isolated now, we should say that NATO did actually affirm in 2024 that Malia and Ceuta are covered under NATO's Article 5 umbrella. So should Morocco decide that it might go in and try to take those, then in theory, Article 5 gets triggered. But in practice, if we look at what's happened before in this region and in Fact, there's a very direct kind of comparison that we can make, which we will make in a sec. It's been complicated, to say the least.
[07:41]
B
Yeah, I mean, look, this is something that is causing serious concern in Spain. On Monday, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said during a press conference that these towns are not to be touched. Everyone must be very clear. She said that Spanish editorial integrity and sovereignty are not up for debate. But national newspapers are drawing comparison with this previous event that you referred to, Zoya. It's called the green March of 1975. And Spain actually used to hold an even bigger territory, what was then called the Spanish Sahara. Spain had planned to give the region independence in 1975, but instead Morocco sent 350,000 people to March peaceably into this territory and basically claim it for Morocco. And so this is now the Western Sahara. It's basically still disputed today, but Morocco claims to own it. And the US has now backed up under the Trump administration, the idea that it is part of Moroccan territory.
[08:39]
A
You know, I've been checking out some of the editorials in various kind of Moroccan royal family aligned papers. Does in some ways have its sights set on Sauta and Malia. But what we should say, you know, you mentioned this U.S. trump administration kind of shift. There's another interesting thing that it all points out, which is that there's a particular congressman, US Congressman Mario Diaz Bella, who has actually said in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Espanol that Celia and Malia are in Moroccan territory and actually questioned whether they are part of Spain or should be part of Morocco, then also actually submitted a congressional report saying similar. So this Moroccan thing has some backers. Morocco has some backers in the US as well. And I think that's another reason why Spain is so nervous.
[09:31]
B
Yeah. And I mean, look, the, the reality is that these are, you know, Spanish
[09:35]
A
colonial holdings, but they go back a long way. Yeah.
[09:38]
B
I mean, Ceuta from 1668 and Melilla from 1497, they are fully integrated parts of Spain. You know, they are unequivocally Spanish. At the same time, you know, you do need to go through an ID check to get onto mainland Spain. But at the same time, our European country is going to be like, yeah, we're going to stand up to a Washington backed Morocco to protect Spain's colonial holdings.
[10:05]
A
I don't know.
[10:05]
B
I think there's reason to be concerned in Madrid.
[10:07]
A
I don't know. I don't know. So, Sarah, our third story of the day, it's about Novo Nordisk. It's this Danish pharma company that's behind Ozempic and it's announced that it's going to be bringing its brand new weight loss pillow to Europe. It's currently making jabs and you can get the jabs here, but you haven't been able to get the pill so far.
[10:30]
B
Yeah. So the Wegovy pill, it's said to potentially be a blockbuster. I mean, just in the UK alone, 300,000 Brits have started using it just three weeks after it's launched.
[10:42]
A
I mean, that's huge.
[10:43]
B
Yes.
[10:43]
A
So many people three weeks after. And this information is from this earnings call, I think, that one of our reporters was covering the other day, where they basically said, look, this is our expectation for the European market. Yeah.
[10:55]
B
And I mean, it's already out in, also in the United States and the United Arab Emirates, 1.5 million people are already on this Wegovy pill. And so it's expected to really be a blockbuster when it comes to Europe. And the first country that it's going to be available in is Germany.
[11:11]
A
That's kind of the long and the short of it. But really this story is less about weight loss pills and more about the fact that this is yet another place where the EU and the US administration under Trump are not seeing eye to eye.
[11:23]
B
Exactly. So Trump is mad because European countries tend to pay less for new medicines than the US does.
[11:31]
A
And that's because the reason why European countries pay less for the medication is because they have purchase power, because they've got large national health services that buy products on mass and negotiate these contracts en masse. In the US very different system, privatized individual insurance companies and so forth. Doing the negotiations.
[11:50]
B
Exactly. So Germany tends to be a first stop for drug companies. It's a powerful negotiator. And the thing that's really interesting about this earning call that our colleague Dominic Cummings listened to is Novo didn't say how much they're gonna charge for it, but they basically said they were gonna charge the amount that they wanna charge and ignore what Trump has requested. He has told pharma companies that they need to implement this so called most favored nation status, which basically means like giving the US like some of the best prices that are available. And Novo's like, no, no, we're not going to bother.
[12:22]
A
And the reason why they're not going to bother. I mean, this is kind of an interesting element in and of itself is that they know that this is going to be a huge product for them and they want to get people hooked. Nice and early, nice and easy, before they might see some other alternative pills come onto the market, and then there might be competition.
[12:41]
B
Yeah. And look, this is kind of a big issue that applies to a lot of. Of medicines, a lot of innovative drugs. And it's an issue where there's sort of unity across party lines in the US Is this frustration that despite being, you know, pretty much the richest economy in the world, the US Cannot command lower drug prices, whereas Europe gets to benefit from it. And so, you know, you've seen unity from Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders on this issue, but ultimately, European negotiating power is still helping it win out at the same time. Well, it's winning out on drug prices at the same time. As we've just been discussing, this convenient weight loss pill has been available in the United States for longer than Europe. So in the US if you can afford it, you might get it first, whereas in Europe, you might have to wait longer, but your government will help you pay for it, and the drug companies will probably negotiate a lower price.
[13:34]
A
Hmm. And in terms of what Trump might do about it, I mean, just last month, the US Launched a trade probe into what it called Germany's persistent underpayment for innovative pharmaceutical products. And basically, we'll see how that pans out. That's where the pressure is coming from. And there are other places as well. I mean, Donald Trump famously does love to impose tariffs on countries, so that's always an option for him. Hey, Sarah. That's about it from us. But yesterday we spoke about geographical indications, and we asked people for their favorite one. And we got a message from Alicia from Poland, who says she loves osipic, which is a salty smoked sheep cheese made specifically in the Tatra Mountains region of Poland.
[14:18]
B
Well, I was just in that region, actually, on the Slovak side, and just the cherry situation in the whole area is excellent.
[14:27]
A
Are they sweet cherries or sour cherries?
[14:29]
B
Whatever I had definitely had sugar added to it.
[14:32]
A
I dream of sour cherries in Ukraine, in the Carpathian Mountains, which is where I'm from, they had the most stunning sour cherry trees. My grandfather had a tree in his backyard. Oh, you've made me nostalgic, Sarah. Anyway, before we really get out of here, Sarah, what's coming up from the weekend tomorrow?
[14:51]
B
So we have one more new episode before we go on summer break, and it's one that we hope will set you up for your summer break. It's our annual books episode. Zoya, you even provided one of your recommendations for us.
[15:03]
A
I did two, Sarah. So I'm intrigued as to which one they'll use.
[15:06]
B
All right, so you gotta listen tomorrow. And then also for our interview, we speak with somebody who will be very familiar in Brussels, Guy Ver Hofstadt, former Belgian prime minister and former mep. He's written a new book called called Defeating Trumpism, and he describes a growing frustration with how liberal democracies are governed. And he has some proposed solutions that can help counter the global rise of populism. So lots to digest in in the Weekender.
[15:34]
A
Interesting. And then, folks, we're going to be off until the 24th of August. That'll be our first week back. But in the meantime, there will be some episodes from the archives that you're going to be dropping.
[15:44]
B
Exactly. So the new book episode and then two archives, archival favorites to revisit.
[15:49]
A
Oh, fun. Folks, that's about it for me. Actually, while I'm on holiday, I would love to come back to just a heap of new reviews on Spotify and on Apple podcasts because we are still languishing below 1000 and I would just love for there to be more.
[16:04]
B
Sarah Zoe, you're giving people vacation homework. You already said the vibe is burnt out.
[16:10]
A
That's it for me. See you folks. Sam.