LITTLE-KNOWN PROFESSIONS – LOBBYIST
FIGHTER FOR OTHERS’ INTERESTS
Patience, persistence, good presentation skills, and adherence to ethical codes are qualities a good lobbyist must possess. The opening of our country to the European Union and adaptation to fierce global market competition will require lobbying to become a political practice, says Ana Aleksić, a lobbyist.
There are about 30,000 lobbyists in the European Union headquarters in Brussels, making it the second largest lobbying hub in the world, right after Washington. Their task is to fight for the interests of those who have hired them, often for a substantial fee, finding the shortest and quickest path to centers of political and economic power and decision-makers. The loudest in this fight are the lobbyists of the largest multinational companies, with Google and General Electric spending 3.5 million euros annually on lobbying. However, it’s not only the world’s economic giants that hire lobbyists. Individuals, countries, and citizen associations can also engage them.
“A lobbyist can also be someone who serves as a link between citizens and decision-makers or who conveys the opinions, demands, and interests of those who are not influential enough and do not have the opportunity to present their views and proposals to decision centers,” defines Ana Aleksić, who completed a lobbying course at the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and is an economist by profession.
Her first lobbying experience came when, along with colleagues, she contacted representatives of several citizen associations from Pančevo at the beginning of August 2021 to convey their observations and suggestions for improving life in the city to the local authorities. Based on information gathered from citizen associations, Ana and her associates obtained an accurate picture of the citizens’ needs. They simultaneously monitored the Pančevo city website and, thanks to this, understood the direction of planning and action by the city authorities during the drafting of the Pančevo Development Plan for 2022-2028. When invited to present their views and suggestions, they requested stricter enforcement of regulations related to environmental protection in accordance with official procedures and the Lobbying Act.
In response to our question about the reactions of people they contacted, Ana said that city officials responded quickly and positively. According to Ana, this, along with the transparent lobbying process, made an important step in restoring citizens’ trust in institutions.
“Therefore, I expect that a path will be opened to represent and protect public interests from the local to the national and international levels in a new way, respecting legal procedures,” Ana emphasizes.
**TYPES OF LOBBYING**
When asked about the types of lobbying, Ana explained that procedures in this profession depend on the strategy and goal. A lobbyist, she says, can advocate for the needs and interests of individuals, large capital, companies, but also represent the wishes and needs of ordinary citizens.
According to Ana, a large number of citizen associations and trade union organizations lack financial and political power, and they gain the opportunity to present their views on certain issues to public services, state bodies, or political decision-makers through lobbyists. This creates an opportunity for lobbyists to gain a good reputation and perform a socially acceptable function.
In response to our question about the significance of lobbying, Ana stated that it strengthens citizens’ trust in the decision-making process in state bodies and contributes to better quality decision-making in the state.
“Equally important is the ability to achieve a better quality of life and work by presenting problems to decision-makers. This raises awareness of certain issues, helps strengthen minority rights, and assists local communities with specific proposals and initiatives. Lobbying can also be useful for entrepreneurs to connect with politicians,” Ana added.
**IMPORTANCE OF LOBBYING**
We also asked Ana Aleksić about the importance of lobbying at the state and global level. She explained that the opening of our country to the European Union and adaptation to the global market competition requires lobbying to become a permanent political practice. Therefore, all lobbyists must be transparent in their work and responsible in finding the values they advocate for and the issues they lobby on.
Ana Aleksić announced that she will continue to promote and present the lobbying profession by giving lectures and media presentations and highlighting examples of good lobbying practices. She added that she has made numerous contacts through various jobs she has held, which she believes will be beneficial in future lobbying endeavors.
Speaking about her work experience, Ana said she initially worked in a private company and established numerous contacts with state inspectors and officials in resolving various demands imposed by the state on private businesses. After that, she engaged in a political party, learning how it operates, how its policies are implemented, and how it deals with voters.
This allowed her to analyze the people attracted to political engagement, their relationship to party ideas, and the organization of party events. Ana also monitored election processes, which, she said, helped her understand how our political system functions.
A broad spectrum of contacts with different people and professions was the starting point for her to apply for lobbying training organized by the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, where she learned that adherence to legal procedures is a fundamental requirement.
“The years in which I trained and worked as a lobbyist were socially, economically, and politically turbulent, and the problems I faced daily required patience, persistence, presentation skills, and adherence to ethical codes. These are the qualities every good lobbyist must have,” concluded Ana Aleksić.