Me to client: “So are you OK with me mentioning you in my acknowledgments as you really helped me go to my limits in lobbying on your behalf”.
Client: “Huh, well, I didn’t do much and you know, on this side of the Atlantic, we don’t like to be associated to the word lobbying”.
Me: “What do you mean? There’s a zillion lobbyists on the Hill… You guys invented the word and now you don’t like it?”
Client: “I didn’t say we were not hypocrites. I’m just saying I find it odd that you would write about lobbying as something you do and are proud of…I mean frankly, what a bizarre idea”.

So the word is out: I’m at it again with my bizarre ideas about lobbying being a legitimate and useful job (if done well by professional that like to sleep soundly at night)…At least I guess the second part of iLobby.eu is a bit more ‘respectable’ as it talks about social media and EU 2.0. And even there, what a struggle to stop adding to the book at every small change in the EU 2.0 landscape. It is very frustrating when your book is finished to see everyone suddenly get excited about Reding’s announced “Communication revolution”…But then again, having read the entire document, I guess revolution may not have the same significance in EU corridors than the places I go to ’cause dragging journos on trips and having Barroso as EU poster boy certainly wouldn’t make me feel like a major shift is underway in terms of EU communications…and certainly wasn’t worth updating the “social media” bit of the book much!

So anyway: it’s on pre-order here and info about is can be found here.

And, as a side note: I know that Switzerland is not part of the EU but the Swiss army knife on the cover was designed in the EU, commercialised by the Swiss and made in China

Wrong (and, by the way, I wish it were true!).

It is a funny misconception that if you want to have two months of holidays during summer you can either become a teacher (and do something useful for humanity) or become someone hovering around the European institutions (and do…well, what lobbyists do, I guess). I can’t comment on the former but when it comes to the latter, it always makes me wonder if people truly believe that if there’s no MEP around to lobby, we just sit at our desk waiting for them to come back….like robots in “off ” mode or very sad Labrador puppies left home alone.

Well, sorry to disappoint all those considering a lobbying career (or governmental affairs, public affairs, “something” affairs) for the nice summer holiday perks: there’s still a lot to do over summertime! And that is because policy-makers and regulators truly make the “jobs and growth” motto a central objective in the way they work. How so, will you ask? By creating a policy environment that stimulates employment and innovation? Well, maybe…kind of…but also by making sure lobbyists like me do not fall in a deep hole of nothingness over summer by issuing a zillion consultations at the end of June / beginning of  July, with a deadline for responses in September…Thou shall not stay idle by the pool, says the regulator!

Oh, and did I mention that slightly over-full folder on my desktop called “TO READ” in which I put every file, document, report, etc of over 60 pages that I am not bound to read but just know I should at some point in my life, if only to feel smarter.

However, I will do all of this whilst humming “in the summertime”!

So hum along!