Abstract

Though the creation of European posts and careers is certainly one of the most tangible expressions (and at the same time one of the mainsprings) of European construction, it remains unclear in what way these posts are “European” and in what way they are “Europeanising” themselves. In the absence of statistical studies, we know little about the objectification of Europeanization processes in careers or socio-professional structures. Can we actually speak of a Europeanization of political and administrative careers? If so, what does it consist of and what are the possible and tangible indicators? Moreover, is it a continuous and standardised process across all positions, nationalities and European political sectors? If not, what varies and what can we say about the socio-political conditions of these variations? These questions can find answers when applied to cases of the Directors General of the European Commission that are empirically limited by prosopography.