In the disadvantageous peace according to the 1809 Treaty of Schönbrunn that followed, the Austrian foreign minister Johann Philipp von Stadion had to resign and a new ministry was formed, with Prince Metternich at its head.

Pillersdorf's stay in France and travels to the United Kingdom allowed him to make comparative studies and think about how the people could start participating in lawmaking and government in Austria as well.

If he had hoped for a moment to be able to calmly and gradually reorganise the government, everything conspired against his honest intention — the turmoil in Lombardy and Hungary, the unrest in Vienna, and relations with the states of the German Confederation.

The unexpected flight of Emperor Ferdinand I made it an affair of honour for the prime minister not to resign, and Pillersdorf remained true to his post.

In the meantime, public affairs came into such confusion and disarray, and Pillersdorf showed himself so little suited to manage them and create order, that finally on 8 July he resigned.

Pillersdorf's efforts during his career were directed, as he himself said, toward "reinforcing the power and prestige of the government and instilling confidence in it by avoiding motives for dissatisfaction through suggestions for peaceful reforms."

But his fellow citizens sought to heal these wounds: when constitutional government returned to Austria in 1861, they confidently called him to the newly established Reichsrat house of representatives.

The old man, who had reached the end of his days, took up the mandate with joyful readiness and uprightly performed the duties of his office as head of the finance committee until his death in the following year.