After a year in Brussels, MLB graduates Christian from Denmark and Viktor from Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina are now working on key initiatives at the European Commission. Using their backgrounds in law and business, they are working on some of Europe’s biggest challenges.
Christian is part of a task force overseeing the distribution of a multi-billion euro budget to member states for climate and digitalization targets, while Viktor navigates complex legal and economic questions as a policy officer. In a recent interview, they share their experiences, motivations, and the challenges of working in the EU Commission.
What does a typical day look like for you as part of the EU Commission?
I’m part of a task force in the European Commission (the European Union’s executive body) which is responsible for managing a EUR 700 billion fund that by the end of 2026 has to be dispersed to the member states upon fulfilment of individually negotiated targets, agreed upon between each member state and the European Commission. The targets are within six overall areas such as climate and digitalization. All the tasks of negotiating, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of the targets are part of my job.
How has your interdisciplinary background in law and business benefited your work in an international organisation?
With my background, I am able to draw on a wide range of skills, with interdisciplinary expertise at the core. My education at Bucerius Law School has honed my ability to analyze complex issues from different perspectives, which is key to finding the right solutions to reach the policy objectives set out in the targets, but also to engage in discussions with stakeholders or national authorities.
In the same vein, it has also enabled me to engage in discussions outside my field of expertise, and to understand the interdependence of exchanges between different backgrounds as a prerequisite for finding a good solution.
What skills from the MLB Program are valuable to you at the Commission?
I’m grateful for the soft skills that I developed during my time at Bucerius Law School through group work and being part of an international and diverse MLB class. This has made it easy for me to integrate into an international working environment, where we are around 150 employees with nationalities from all 27 EU member states.
