I digress … thoughts on fish & the environment
Many lobbyists act like Pavlov’s dogs. The ring of the bell is replaced by the ‘leak’ of a document. Everything stops. All attention is switched to the ‘leak. It seems not to matter that the leak is authorized, usually sent up as a red flag to gauge responses. Many lobbyists have been conditioned to respond. … Read more
If I wanted to pass a law fast, this is what I’ve learned works. Stick the details in the Annex. So few people read, and even fewer read to the Annexes, you’ll be able to hide the substance in plain sight. Make sure the title is suitably non-descriptive. Give it an innocuous title. If a … Read more
Back in 2019, newly elected President von der Leyen led the charge for the European Green Deal. Her first Work Programme promoted the agenda as a headline action. The President appointed a Commissioner with a track record of getting things done, Frans Timmermans, to lead the implementation. But contrary to the revisionists tendencies of some, … Read more
A rift on John W.Kingdon. Back in 2000, I stumbled on the writing of John W.Kingdon. It changed my life – for the better. Here was an academic that wrote clearly. More, he understood how policy making really worked. He provided a model that from my few years in EP and Commission made absolute sense. … Read more