Based on a report of the National Assembly of February 2013, several measures are being proposed. They include the following:

The distrust of politicians and government is strongly connected to how citizens feel about the overall state of their country. The discontent with the honesty of elected officials is a leading cause of distrust of government. Disillusionment with political leaders is essentially as important a factor in distrust of government as is criticism of the way government performs its duties.

The secret of Margaret Thatcher's success lies in a combination of qualities, which both saw her into leadership and were the essence of her period in power:

Out of 25 countries, only eight (France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom) have codes of conduct in place for Parliamentarians. Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland DO NOT have a code of conduct for Parliamentarians. In some countries, rules of procedures cover ethical issues (Denmark, Finland and Switzerland).

Our work as Public Policy Advocates entails a wide range of activities:

Engaging with Public Policy Advocates is vital in many respect for civil servants or MPs, since it is the job of most Public Policy Advocates to promote the interests of their organizations, clients or corporations in a way that builds positive working relationships with government, and it is important for government to consult with representatives of key stakeholders.

Politicians cannot be expected NOT to be political. It makes good policy sense to take precautions against unethical forms of political conduct. The path of distrust leads to greater and greater public accountability of politicians, with many external accuntability agencies holding the line against formal breaches of ethical rules and expectations. But it also makes good policy sense to promote higher forms of ethical political conduct, beyond simple compliance with the rules.

Society today is in a leaderhip crisis.  If leadership is to be defined as the ability to influence people then trust is the foundation for leadership. Each scandal (as we’re witnessing in France) chips away at the trust people placed in their political leaders.

Public Policy Advocacy  is essentially a skill, one that can be learned and adapted to varying circumstances. As with any skill, there are also some fundamental capabilities that need to be developed to take full advantage of what public policy advocacy can offer. The most important of these are:

1. Not being familiar with the legislative proposal

2. Not conducting appropriate analysis

3. Confusing motion with action

4. Not knowing when to stop.

5. Not managing client expectations. Unrealistic expectations can create untenable pressure to do the wrong thing or the right thing at the wrong time.