MPs in the Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved a measure on Wednesday morning that will reduce the time required to become a civil servant from 15 years to ten years. Despite the unanimous vote, however, some critical voices were raised.
Under the new rule, employees will "only" need to work for the state for ten years – down from the current 15 – before being able to transition from employee status to that of civil servant. The measure, passed unanimously, is part of the wage agreement in the public sector and aims to create a more attractive and modern civil service.
While the Democratic Party (DP) supported the draft bill, MP Gusy Graas advocated against further reducing the time span in the future. Graas acknowledged that recruiting civil servants has become difficult, notably because of the required exams.
However, he questioned whether the appeal of becoming a civil servant might diminish if people know they can attain that status after ten years without necessarily being willing to undergo the stress of taking exams. For this reason, the DP believes a certain limit has now been reached and that the issue should not be revisited with the aim of further reductions – otherwise, Graas warned, the discussion would resurface time and again.
Additionally, some MPs noted that, following pressure from the Chamber of Civil Servants and Public Employees, the language requirements will remain unchanged – contrary to the government's original plans.
