There are lot of books on EU Lobbying.
Two recent reads I enjoyed are:
Lobby.eu: Survival Guide to EU Lobbying, including the Use of Social Media – by Caroline De Cock
How the EU Institutions Work and… How to Work with the EU Institutions by Hardacre and Aske
Most of the books looks at the EU Institutions and how the Institutions work together. Many, although not the two above, tend to be dry.
There is one from a MEP perspective that I know of , but that is more a history of the UK Labour Party’s involvement in the EU:
New Labour in Europe: Leadership and Lost Opportunities by Anita Pollack
There is one fly on the wall documentary from UK’s Channel 4 – which whilst dated – is realistic about how EU laws are made and passed.
How to guides?
There are no books I know about what I’d call the on the psychology of lobbying, or how to deal with and persuade politicians and officials.
The best lobbyists and campaigners I have worked with are masters of understanding politicians and officials. Their success often annoys their more technical colleagues who are amazed that droning on in what amounts to a foreign language has little to no impact.
For me there is gap in the market is something that explains in 10 simple points why it is not okay to barge into a MEPs office unannounced with a delegation of 22 people, let alone think it is going to help your case
Think about your audience
As a lobbyist you are going to have to deal with different people:
- MEPs
- Group Adviser
- Political Staffer
- Perm Rep
- National Official
- Minister
- Ministerial political adviser
- Desk Officer
- Head of Unit, Director
- Director General
- Cabinet
- Commissioner
- Secretary-General
- Journalists
How you deal with each of them is very different. Most lobbyists don’t adapt. Whilst your central message and objective won’t change, what and how you say it will be very different for each group. Too many lobbyists go in with the same set of speaking notes and speak at someone for 20 minutes before their host can get a word in edge way.
MEPs
I had the honour to work for two British Labour MEPs. I learned a lot working for them. I just spent my time passing legislation. From that time, I learned the importance of:
- How national political groups influence voting lists – most people are unaware that some national political groups even have a separate voting lists
- Who really prepares the voting lists
- How a phone call from your national Minister / Shadow Minister can influence an MEP/Groups voting
- How MEPs become very focused on back home around selection time
- The importance on national and party media to a MEP
- Use constituency links to meet a MEP
- Why social democrats like to meet you with trade unions
- Have a professional photographer on hand for events
- Politicians like positive local media stories – help them- there is more to life than Politico
- The degree of details MEPs want to delve into vary, so get prepared to adapt
- They are political creatures – talking about Mises to a social democrat won’t get you far
- Some assistants are assistants and some are legislative and political advisers. If you are speaking to the assistant drafting the report and amendments for the politician work with them
Political Core skills
Most lobbyists in Brussels have limited real political experience. Few have experienced canvassing at election time. Fewer have a Party card. Too many have 3 Party cards.
If you have spent time working on the ground dealing with voters you are given an intense course on political communication.
These are some of the important things a lobbyist needs:
- Like dealing with people – if you don’t like people, you are in the wrong line of work
- Work as a team with people from different backgrounds
- Hold your tongue when it counts
- Write clearly
- Write for the audience, not themselves, let alone their client’s pet obsessions
- Use visuals and charts, rather than datasheets and equations
- Speak to people – there are a lot of people I think should never be let out in public
- Pick up the phone and call a total stranger – too many can’t do this
- Know when to walk away from an issue and when to end the conversation
- Avoid points scoring. Your job is to win and not win cheap points that harm the end game.
Do not try this
There are some useful ‘never do these things’ when you meet politicians or officials:
- Lie about the issue, facts, positions of others
- Barge into their office unannounced
- Follow a member of the opposite sex into a public toilet to make your case
- Shout at them
- Patronise them
- Be rude about their best friends, colleagues, staffers to their face, or at all
- Suggest that they are on the take
- Offer them a job, car, house or yacht
- Intimidate them physically or legally
- Display your bigotry, prejudices, misogynist
- And evidently don’t attempt to threaten or blackmail them
Whilst all pretty obvious, I have come across them all. Each and every time, the case was lost then and there.