Greece reforms public sector leadership selection and local hiring

Greece is implementing significant changes to its public sector recruitment and management. A new bill passed by the Ministry of Interior introduces a major reform for selecting approximately 30,000 department heads and officials. This system replaces seniority-based selection with a meritocratic model centered on written examinations conducted by ASEP, which are scheduled to take place in 2027. The new criteria will prioritize exam scores, with secondary weight given to years of experience, and will eliminate the use of interviews.

In local government, the Municipality of Piraeus has opened applications for 200 temporary positions within its Department of Cleanliness and Recycling. These eight-month contracts are available for high school and middle school graduates, including 180 roles for outdoor cleaning staff and 20 driver positions. Applications for these roles must be submitted by September 28, 2026.