Apply for Western Balkans Fellowship Programme at the Austrian Parliament 2025

They are looking for the 6 best applicants from the WB6 National Parliaments, who want to shape the regional and European collaboration by using their knowledge and enthusiasm in applying the best practices in the process of administrative reform.

Objectives

• The EFB’s strategic objectives are:
  • To develop the Western Balkans’ social capacity focused on the region’s democratisation and EU accession process;
  • To develop a policy platform that improves policy making while strengthening democratic institutions and civil societies in the Western Balkans and supporting EU integration;
  • To develop a culture of regional cooperation with a set of norms taken at the societal level.
• Specific objectives of the programme are:
  • To develop the capacities of a selected category of public servants who want to shape regional and European collaboration by targeting national actors important for European integration;
  • To enable a good environment for supporting motivated parliamentary public servants in acquiring knowledge and skills regarding European principles of administration, and transferring know-how within their departments of work;
  • To get to know the role of National Parliaments in the EU-legislation process and to get familiarized with parliamentary processes in the Austrian political system

Funding Information

• The fellow receives a stipend of €2,770.00,- for the six weeks period.

Expected Outcomes

• Expected results are on the individual and institutional level:
  • By empowering the individuals not only with knowledge, but also with tools and techniques, the programme is providing them with assets to develop their careers.
  • Participation in this programme helps to create a professional network on EU and regional levels and an understanding of different working cultures, which is essential for every public servant.
  • After the programme, the officials return to their respective Parliament, acting as the agents of change in their everyday work.
  • The programme’s regional approach ensures the mixture of the officials from Western Balkan countries and yields the additional benefit of regional confidence building, stemming from social bonding and professional networking of the fellows.

Eligibility Criteria

• The eligible applicants should be/have:
  • National of one of the Western Balkan countries,
  • At least 2 years professional experience as a civil servant for the Parliament,
  • Excellent academic qualifications,
  • Very good knowledge of English (at least B2),
  • At least A2 (B1 will be appreciated) proficiency level of German language (the level will be checked during the interview),
  • Sound knowledge of national and international politics and economics,
  • Strong interest in the European Union political developments,
  • Ability and readiness to acquaint oneself with various different topics in a short period of time,
  • Ability and readiness to complete inter-disciplinary work in interdepartmental working groups,
  • Ability and readiness to organise one’s own life arrangements in a new environment.

Application Requirements

• CV in English (maximum 3 pages, pdf). Please upload a CV using the Europass template in English:
  • The CV should include a description of your relevant professional experience to date and a summary of your educational and academic background, such as name of your home organisation, job title, number of months/years spent in each position, description of your duties and responsibilities, details of the work you have carried out, etc.
• Letter of Consent from your employer (pdf). You are asked to upload a signed and stamped Letter of Consent from your superior officer or an authorised representative1 stating that you will be approved for the necessary leave of absence for six weeks (between May and November 2025, plus 4 days for the Joint Seminar in spring 2026), in case you are accepted for the Fellowship Programme. Please send the Letter of Consent using the given template in the Call, published on the webpage.
• Motivation Letter: They expect you to write a Motivation Letter (minimum of 200 words, maximum of 400), with a detailed presentation of your motive for applying for the programme, the connection of your professional interest with the programme as well as your intermediate and long-term professional goals and expectations for your fellowship to the Austrian Parliament. When answering these questions be as specific as possible and describe your major area of professional interest and what would you expect to learn in the Austrian Parliament. Please clearly outline your preferences regarding the host department (for example research, human resources, IT, international affairs, etc.)

For more information, visit EFB.