A matter of trust

Andrzej Wróbel: Poles don't trust lobbyists. Why is that?

Witold Michałek: We are disappointed to hear about all the controversies related to lobbying. Unilob is a consulting company that specializes in lobbying as a formal and legal way of presenting and promoting special groups' interests in the law-making process. Being professional means knowing special techniques and the people responsible for lawmaking. However, the business is also attractive for con artists, who don't use legal measures, but only bribe officials. The fact that they want to influence possible changes in the law doesn't make them lobbyists. This only results in a bad reputation of the whole business of professional lobbyists.

The number of lobbyists allied in the Society of Professional Lobbyists [SPL] is small. At the same time, the majority of lobbying is done by those who vehemently deny being lobbyists. These are non-profit organizations, employers' organizations, trade unions and others. Some of them act legally, others illegally. The public's attention is always attracted by catastrophes and scandals - hence the whole picture of lobbying in Poland.

Is SPL trying to improve the image of lobbying?

Trying to convince people of the advantages of lobbying is time-consuming and is like hitting a wall. At the current stage it seems unrealistic.

Do you think that Poles understand the idea and the need for lobbying?

Actually, only a few people seem to understand the important role of lobbying. If I talk to representatives of non-profit organizations, they say they act in the public interest, and are not lobbyists.

Now we have the Lobbying Act, which only refers to professional lobbyists - in my opinion to the detriment of the business and the whole law-making process in Poland. There are no regulations related to lobbying, other than how to penalize it and how to defend oneself against lobbyists.

What we really need is a better understanding of 'a civil society'. A civil society expresses its opinions through its representatives and we are a part of these representatives. Poles' understanding of lobbying's role, its importance and its mechanisms needs to be expanded. All lobbyists, both professional and those who avoid the name, should also realize the consequences of the wrong perception of the business.

Is there a large demand for lobbying services in Poland?

Among foreign companies operating in Poland the demand is quite large because they remember the role of lobbying from their own countries. For them lobbying is a way to strengthen their position in the market by shaping a wider and friendlier environment for their businesses. They look for those who already know the paths.

In terms of Polish companies, even now, 16 years after the transformation, they think they are able to do their businesses on their own. Unfortunately, some do, but later we find out in the media how they did it. Businessmen don't want to spend money on such services. Thus the interest seems average but lobbying has prospects, especially now after Poland joined the EU.

Polish businessmen have no influence and no connections in Brussels, so they must start using professional lobbyists. Actually, not much has changed yet, because people do not realize which laws are made in Poland and which in the EU. But there are subsidiaries of our companies in Brussels, so it's getting better.

Interviewed by Andrzej Wróbel