The existing system of filling admission places in the state machine has proven to be time-consuming, distorted and ineffective, with the result that many departments and services of the State remain hostage to the time-consuming procedures.
There are cases where it takes up to two years to fill a position in the public service, while the validity of the government exam is one year.
"F" presents the procedures currently followed to secure positions in the public sector, as well as the new system proposed by the government side, with the aim of making a comparison of the two procedures.
The current system
Today, a specific procedure is followed for recruitment in the public sector, through the Public Service Commission (EDY). The first appointment positions concern non-scientific positions on the A7 scale, for which the basic qualification is a secondary school leaving certificate or a diploma of a three-year post-secondary cycle of studies. They also concern scientific positions on the A8 scale, for which a university diploma is required.
In detail, four months before the general written exams are held, lists of the positions that will be filled next year are submitted to the Parliament. It should be noted that for each category of positions, separate written examinations are conducted by the Advisory Committee.
The exams include a special subject, depending on the required special knowledge. The general written examinations are held in the last four months of the year. Those who pass the general written examinations receive a certificate of success, through which they can claim any position included in the list of positions approved by the Parliament without changes.
A prerequisite for claiming the positions is that the candidates possess the required qualifications for the specific vacancy.
The special examinations of the Advisory Committees are carried out after the announcement of the vacancies, separately for each process of filling positions. Subsequently, the evaluation of candidates for appointment to all admission positions is based on the same criteria and the same weights. The order of success of the candidate in the written examination, which corresponds to 100 points out of a total of 138, is of decisive importance.
The problems that arise
The current process creates chain problems in the operation of the public service, which is understaffed. The problems in the existing recruitment system are as follows:
∙ In several cases there is not a sufficient number of interested candidates to fill all the vacancies for admission to the public service, with the result that vacancies remain in each process and the process needs to be repeated in order to be able to fill them.
∙ There is a high mobility of candidates who are appointed to a position and at the same time claim other positions for which they have the required qualifications and which may be of more interest to them. Therefore, when they are offered an appointment to another post, they leave the previous one.
∙ The general written examination is held before the announcement of vacancies. The process of filling the positions is not done in a targeted manner and therefore problems arise in the overall process, mainly in relation to the non-attraction of interested candidates.
∙ Candidates sit exams for which they prepare and pay a participation fee of €50, without it being certain that vacancies will arise for which they will have the required qualifications to claim them. This causes justified complaints and reactions. At the same time, there are constant protests from the services, which face the problems and consequences of the inefficiency of the procedures for filling their vacancies, which are increasing year by year.
∙ The complexity in the process of approving the lists, which requires their approval by the Parliament, causes delay and creates a risk in their timely promotion and approval, as well as unnecessary bureaucracy, given that the Parliament cannot amend the specific lists, but only approve or reject them. (Seat listings have never been rejected.)
The current distorted process, year after year, exacerbates the problem. For this reason, the Ministry of Finance, in an effort to remove distortions and make the process of filling positions in the public service more rational and efficient, has prepared a package of bills, which will be put under the microscope of the members of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance tomorrow.
If the bill passes...
In detail, the new appointment system in the public sector, which the government aims to implement from 2027 onwards, provided that the bills are approved by the Parliament, provides for the following:
∙ The general written examinations for filling admission positions will be held after the announcement of the vacancies and not beforehand, so that the process is targeted and aligned with the needs of the services.
∙ The topics examined will concern the positions that will be filled and the citizens will know if there are vacancies for which they hold the qualifications, so that they can decide whether to sit the exams, for which preparation and payment of a fee are required.
∙ Vacancies will be published during the first two months of the year.
∙ The lists of positions for the conduct of a written or special written examination will not be submitted to the Parliament.
∙ The positions for which a special written examination by the relevant Advisory Committee is justified, for documented reasons related to particularities and difficulties in filling them, will be determined by a Decree of the Council of Ministers, which will be issued within December of the year preceding the announcement of the vacancies.
∙ The Special Committee that is currently responsible for conducting the general written examination is abolished.
∙ The Public Service Commission, after the compilation of a list of candidates for each procedure for filling positions, which includes the successful candidates in the written examination who possess the required qualifications, will invite candidates who claim more than one position to declare an order of preference, with deletion from the other lists in case of appointment to the first selection.
∙ The scoring points for the evaluation of the relevant supervisor are increased from 0-5 to 0-15 during the oral examination before the EDY.
∙ The competent authorities will submit their proposals to the National Public Service for filling positions within two months of their creation or vacation, while the publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic will take place during the first two months of each year.
∙ The general written examination for admission positions in the public service will not be held in 2026, so that from 2027 onwards the new system will be implemented.
∙ In 2026, the lists of positions will not be submitted to the Parliament for approval, on the basis of which the examination is being conducted.
It is worth noting that the abolition of the government exams this year, as well as the non-submission of the relevant lists of positions, last June, were the subject of controversy and exchange of letters between the executive and legislative powers.
Whether or not the government exams will be abolished this year and whether the lists of positions will be submitted, will be clarified at tomorrow's session of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance.
