PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY POST ELECTIONS

There seems to be quite a consensus about the direction towards which the elections are going. Analysts all seem to agree that populists, eurosceptics and fringe parties are likely to gain an alarmingly high number of seats. Whatever the outcome of the European Parliament elections, it seems likely that the new European Parliament will have far more MEPs who are sceptical of the internal market. The new EP will likely be more fragmented than the current one, which may lead to a certain paralysis in brokering a majority for certain European Commission proposals that cover "sensitive" policies like the environment, food safety or financial services. The ones who want and need a more unified European market, may need to talk to more new MEPs who are outright hostile to their cause. In practice, this will require more compromises, improved political communication skills, a better understanding of "what's in it for them", and, not least, an in-depth knowledge of the formal and informal working mechanics of the new Parliament.

The new European Commission, given its sheer size of 28 commissioners, will be characterized by the process that had already started a few years ago: technical rule-making, both via implementing and delegated acts. This process is going to become ever more important; Public Policy Advocates need to maintain (or develop) their professional network with Commission officials even on lower levels of the hierarchy since many norms and rules will not be decided by the Commissioner directly.

Finally, professional Public Policy Advocates need to adapt well to the "public mood" in their broader external environment, that is to say the EU member states in which they operate. Improving public perceptions will become more important and can pay off: surveys show that when the public trusts industry more, policy makers will  have less pressure and intention to impose more regulations on business.