Lobbying and public relations in a European context

Structural changes in Western European politics increases the importance of lobbying. The “political deficit” of the European Union has created an exploding lobbying market which is mirrored in the increased importance of lobbying at the national state level in Europe. This study looks at the role of corporate PR managers in corporate lobbying in one European country, Norway, and looks at connections between experience at the national level and the European level. The study confirms a hypothesis that company lobbying is run by company CEOs, with the PR manager playing a crucial role. A structural change in the way lobbying is organized seems to be that single companies to an increasing extent build their own lobbying networks, independent of trade associations. They sometimes use MPs to get access, but do not use external lobbying consultants extensively. According to this study, there is an increasing tendency to attempt to influence members of parliament, not only civil servants.Magne Haug is Assistant Professor of PR at the Norwegian School of Management, School of Marketing. Haavard Koppang is Associate Professor of Economics and Management at the Norwegian School of Management, School of Marketing.