Should you work with the ECR group? Here are 4 questions to help you decide.
Should you, and would you work with the ECR? And if not, can you afford it? Here are four questions that should help you define your engagement strategy with the far-right.
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group is set to become the third force in the European Parliament.
Many organizations are rightfully assessing how to address this fringe of politics that was, until now, for the most part, left aside.
Can democratically-elected officials be excluded from the necessary discussions that surround decision-making, however anti-European their positioning? Should lobbyists sell their values for a few handshakes?
Although I can’t possibly give a definitive answer for all organisations, here are four questions you might want to consider before the next Parliament’s first session.
But before we start, why don’t you share The Beubble with a colleague?
Can my organisation afford not to talk to them?
Lobbying might be the fifth power, but it is first and foremost a business.
Lobbyists must deliver on the objectives of their employers, whether they are from the for-profit or nonprofit sector. Lobbyists might not have the choice — given the political clout that the ECR now has — not to include them in their outreach strategy.
However, you might want to wait until the constitution of the parliamentary committees in the coming weeks before giving a firm answer to this question.
Is it against our values?
Lobbying being a business does not mean one has to sell one’s soul. It must be conducted with core values.
Is your organisation committed to values that are not compatible with those of the ECR? Then it would be best not to engage with them. Just be mindful that you may not achieve the same results as other organisations that decided to work with the group. And that’s OK.
You can start answering this question now: what values are paramount to you and your organisation? How are these values represented in the way you engage with policymakers? Do you refuse to engage with certain political currents?
Answering these questions will hopefully put you on the right track.
Would they even listen to us?
That’s the corollary question to the previous one.
If your values may be compatible with ECR MEPs, you are not guaranteed that they feel the same way.
Many right-wingers were elected on an anti-lobby, anti-Brussels platform. And while some might forget about this claim very soon, others might sincerely believe that everything wrong with Europe is because of interest representation.
In that case, will they even lend you an ear? I would recommend — and if you indeed decide to try and talk to them — testing the waters first with low-commitment activities to assess their personal willingness to work with lobbyists and campaigners.
Would we publicly acknowledge working with the far-right?
Lobbying is, in the general opinion, associated with shady deals and behind-closed-doors bargains. It doesn’t have to be this way.
I call it the Truth-Test. If you would not publicly acknowledge something, then it does not belong to your strategy.
This stems from two arguments. If it’s bad and someone uncovers the truth, it will damage your reputation. And reputation is all we have in this industry. Furthermore, if it’s bad — why do it in the first place? If interest representation is to play a democratic role, it must be accountable to the democratic principles of fairness, honesty, and transparency.
Let’s take an example: imagine Politico (or another media in the bubble) lists the organisations that engage with MEPs from the political fringes, you must be OK with that.
Thanks for reading!
I’m Alexandre Météreau, EU lobbyists and campaigner.
The Beubble is a side project where I share insights and practical advice on EU policymaking and influence.
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