The new EU countries are underrepresented in the EU diplomatic corps Shutterstock

A new report from the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) has found that countries which joined the European Union since 2004, such as Poland, are poorly represented in the bloc’s foreign service.

Despite being the sixth-largest EU Member State in terms of population, there is not a single Pole among the 115 ambassadors who fill the European Commission diplomatic posts around the world.

Poles also account for only 36 of around 1,700 other positions in EU diplomatic missions.
Among the founding principles of the new European External Action Service (EEAS) is the requirement, when selecting its new diplomatic personnel, of, “ensuring adequate geographical and gender balance, and a meaningful presence of nationals from all member states in the EEAS.”

According to PISM research, the service comprises a disproportionately high number of diplomats from EU15 countries.

Only two of the EU’s ambassadors (one from Lithuania and one from Hungary) come from the “new 12” member states, which joined in 2004 and 2007.

Moreover, while diplomats sent to Africa and South America mostly come from countries which have historical and cultural ties with the two continents, representations to countries formerly in the Soviet bloc are staffed with nationals whose countries are largely unassociated with the region.

The results of the research have been contested, however. According to Artur Harazim, head of the European Policy Department at Poland’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, the analysis is outdated.

Mr Harazim said that the ministry had been aware of Poland’s underrepresentation in the diplomatic service, and that the EU had made a decision to strike a better geographical balance.

When contacted by WBJ, Jakub Kumoch, co-author of the analysis, insisted that while he was aware of upcoming changes to 32 ambassadorial posts, this would cause only a minimal shift in the situation, and that the findings of the report remained largely accurate.