Good Practice

There is one phrase that seems to guarantee most officials and many politicians eyes rolling and shut down any fruitful exchange. It is “if you do this, the economy will tank”, or a variation “we will close our operations and leave if you do this “. I’ve witnessed this line being used working for MEPs … Read more

A friend phoned me up about an organisation they wanted to donate to. They wanted to support bringing about policy change in an area the EU were active in. Below is a summary of my advice. How political decisions are made, and how to influence those decisions, varies between political capitals. How Washington D.C. and … Read more

The reading and viewing of politicians and officials the world over is similar. They’ll turn to newspapers and journals of record to inform them. Many will flick through the FT, and a national paper of record like Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Their reading will be influenced by their political preferences. Many will have trusted … Read more

It may seem obvious, but lawmaking is a political process., driven by and decided by politicians. It is not a technocratic, technical, process, even in the EU. The Commission is becoming far less technocratic. The desire to push forward with proposals, whatever the evidence says, in record drafting time, is something I regret. It is … Read more