Years have passed since Philppe Boiry pursued one of the first successful lobbying campaigns in Europe for the benefit of his client, the National Federation of Real Estate Agencies, aiming to improve its image and perception by the target audience and members of parliament when the law on real estate was being hammered out.

That was a kind of “soft” lobbyism consisting of only one stage, i.e. informing of the target audience.

Basing on the bulletin “letters to MPs”, published by Philppe Boiry, members of parliament sent their requests to the government. They used the bulletin as a source of information about the real estate business, seeking to grasp its problems and needs.

Things have changed since then.

Lobbying, then quite a rare form of business, has become routine, especially after the establishment of European mechanisms, such as the European Union in Brussels, the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and the OSCE in Vienna.

But still, lobbying in Europe differs from that in the USA. It is relies on information and management of relations.

Its components include a thorough understanding of how the necessary structures function, how decisions are taken, deep knowledge of the logic and style of administrative work, existence of a concrete project and ability to manage the relations with the “right” audience identifying its key players.

Assessment of risks in the public opinion and informing of the European public through mass media make up only a part of the process. With links to many European elites built during electoral and lobbying campaigns, Jacques Seguela is an unrivalled authority.