My commissioner is a consultant

A weekly newsletter on campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the EU.
By ELISA BRAUN
Tips, tales, traumas to @elisabraun or [email protected] | View in your browser
THE LOST ART OF WAITING. I was tempted to turn this newsletter into a two-hour quiz on the contents of the 400-page Draghi report, given that it was this week’s top topic of conversation for lobbyists on LinkedIn, only minutes after it was published (the second topic being congratulating Michel Barnier on his new role as French PM, preferably with a picture proving that you once met him near the Schuman roundabout). Such a test would also be a good use of time now that we have to wait another week (at least) for portfolios to be given to new commissioners.   
To those who read us from outside the EU bubble and might not be familiar with its weird traditions, Brussels has a habit of asking former Italian officials to write very important reports that everybody expects for months, but then almost immediately forgets. Brussels also likes to speculate a lot about high-profile appointments (and yes, that very much includes POLITICO) before celebrating when those appointments are made with a time-honored mixture of flattery, mockery and ‘I told you so.’ 
The truth is that if patience is a virtue, then Brussels is full of sinners. And in this never-ending expectation loop, we cannot wait for the new college and the next major report on the EU’s future. 
In the meantime, we’re talking about:
— A commissioner or a consultant for a lobbying firm? Let’s have both!
— A new grumpy Frenchman in town pushing for nuclear energy (and his first name is not Thierry)
— The only battle that sees lobbyists and NGOs unite — or how getting access to the Commission phone book is causing heat
HEADACHES COMING. There’s no better way to make sure a future European commissioner understands public and private dialogue than by appointing a politician-turned-consultant for the private sector, right? The only problem is that doing this makes it very difficult to avoid conflicts of interest (or the appearance of conflicts of interest). Such potential conflicts are going to be searched for when the European Parliament grills candidates for the commissioner roles. 
Meet Marta Kos, a former diplomat, politician turned consultant, and Slovenia’s last-minute candidate for a commissioner role. Since 2022, Kos has appeared on the website of lobbying consultancy Kreab as a senior adviser who “supports Kreab’s clients and activities with her in-depth knowledge of leadership, communication, gender issues, political affairs and foreign relations, especially in German-speaking countries and South-East Europe.” 
Contacted, Kreab said Kos was currently not advising any of its extensive list of clients and it said she had been working for the firm since 2023, not 2022. Asked about the list of clients she advised in the past, Kreab did not reply but said “Marta’s mentorship and encouragement of our consultants has been very much appreciated by the team.”
Despite working for the lobbying firm,  Kos told us she didn’t see herself as a lobbyist — she is not registered on the transparency register as such. “I advised Kreab people and their clients on women’s healthcare policy and in the field of international trade issues. Currently there are no projects in which I am involved,” she added. 
Coach for managers. Kos also works as a coaching consultant through her Swiss-based consulting company — she has a personal connection to the country as her husband is Switzerland’s “Mr. Europe” Henri Getaz, secretary general of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Kos was also the CEO of Gustav Käser Training International, which she described to us as a “a soft skills training company.”
How will she handle all these roles? “I will resign from KREAB as soon as the president of the European Commission will announce her list of commissioner candidates and I’m on it,” Kos said.
THERE’S A NEW GRUMPY FRENCHMAN IN TOWN. And he’s coming for you, Ursula von der Leyen. The pro-nuclear French engineer and consultant Jean-Marc Jancovici is about to take the Eurostar more often as he hopes to meet with the president of the Commission and pitch her his ideas to build a more sustainable Europe. His think tank, The Shift Project, is one of the latest additions to the infamous lobbying register in Brussels, and we sat down with his team to understand the plan behind the European expansion.
Wait, Janco-who? For those who are not familiar with him, Jancovici has in recent years become a leading, if polarizing, voice for more radical policies to lower carbon emissions in Europe. The success of his comic book explaining resource scarcity to a broad audience made him the best-selling author in France in 2022 and took him from well-known in industrial circles to front-page material. 
Why you should care: While not personally involved in politics, Jancovici is pushing his pro-nuclear and growth-skeptic views in closed-doors meetings with top business, media and political leaders — for example, he’s the one behind a yearly “Davos du climat” in a French castle at which something like 40 CEOs of French companies gather to listen to his unapologetic vision for the future (we’re told that a French centrist presidential candidate attended one of the previous sessions). History has shown that his think tank knows how to become a top voice on policy-making, having built a hardcore fan base of 25,000 “shifters” or volunteers to work with them — mostly from the upper socio-professional category, with many working in public administration.
So what’s the plan? The Shift Project has recruited its first person in Brussels and will rely on its Belgian base of 300 “shifters” to intensify its presence here. People from his team in Paris will also come more often to meet with key figures from the EU institutions and regulators, and also connect with compatible lobbying and advocacy groups … and even with those who might not see nuclear energy as a nice option (hello Germans and Green NGOs!) “We want to weigh in here as much as we are weighing in France,” said Ilana Toledano, communication director for The Shift Project.
Two main themes of intervention: tech and energy. “The Shift has a culture of science-based studies,” said Maxime Kiener, their new Brussels correspondent, who is already having dinners with DG folks who he says are very compatible with the Shift’s ideas as they fear we’re doomed if we don’t change our carbon trajectory. As the Commission is working on a detailed five-year plan, so is the Shift. They want to push for a sustainable network act, take part in consultations and also weigh in with their own reports. The next one will be about artificial intelligence.
A little background check: The Shift has 30 employees in Paris and around €3 million a year for its operations. The money comes mostly from big companies: historically, French electricity giant EDF and train firm SNCF, but also BNP Paribas bank. The Shift claims they maintain editorial independence, which made them lose a sponsor last year. They’re now trying to become more independent by getting funding from big organizations like the European Climate Foundation and from organizing public events. 
**What is truth? The ancient question returned with the rise of AI, fake news, and unscrupulous leaders eroding trust and undermining fact and science. The 12th Athens Democracy Forum, October 1-3, will address these issues and advance concrete solutions. Register here.**
COMMISSION PHONE BOOK UPDATE: Corporate lobbyists and crusading NGOs were united in their ire at the European Commission’s decision last year to remove listings for rank-and-file staff from the EU WhoisWho directory. These contact details were not only seen as a useful working tool but also as a necessary (and transparent) account of who does what in the EU.
Ombudsman weighs in: The European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly looked into it and “expressed regret with how the Commission had taken the decision on such a wide-reaching issue for the transparency of the institution” in a non-binding opinion published Tuesday. 
It’s a meh: “While the Ombudsman found deficiencies in how the Commission took a decision, it sadly had to close the case considering the Commission’s refusal to accept the solution proposal,” said Paul Varakas, from the Society of European Affairs Professionals. The lobbyists’ lobby had called for alternative solutions to keep a register going while respecting people’s privacy. Carlotta Besozzi, Civil Society Europe’s director, said the Commission’s “refusal to review its approach despite the Ombudsman’s proposal disregards the detrimental impact the limitation of the WhoisWho public directory is having for civil society engagement, an important democratic process that already faces unduly restrictions and barriers.” 
SPEAKING OF THE OMBUDSMAN… German and Austrian academic Claudia Mahler is the latest to announce joining the race to become the next EU Ombudsman. As EU Influence alumni Sarah Wheaton wrote in Playbook, the candidates now have to convince 39 MEPs from at least two countries to back them to become official candidates. Mahler, who will be in Strasbourg next week, told us she believed she had the same goals as O’Reilly when it comes to upholding transparency and accountability values, but saw herself as different in terms of method. 
Goodbye drinks with O’Reilly are already scheduled for September 25 at an invite-only reception. But don’t expect her to leave that soon: the vote on her succession is expected in December at the Parliament and the formal hand-over is likely to happen in February.
WHISTLEBLOWING IN THE PARLIAMENT IS A DANGEROUS SPORT. If you’ve ever wondered why it’s so hard to catch bad politicians misusing EU funds, have a look at a ruling from the EU’s top court this week, which touches upon the fact that MEP assistants who witness naughty behavior from their bosses simply risk losing their jobs as they don’t have enough protection. 
What the court says: The European Parliament “did not take all the measures necessary to ensure that a whistleblower had balanced and effective protection against any form of retaliation.”
What transparency advocates say: “This ruling is long-overdue vindication for the many parliamentary staff fired, simply for blowing the whistle and reporting wrongdoing. Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise, given that the Parliament’s rules are the weakest of all the EU institutions,” said Nick Aiossa, EU director of Transparency International, in a statement.
SCIENCES PO RACE SURPRISE The director of Sciences Po Aix, Rostane Mehdi, made it to the final three list of contenders to get the prestigious role of boss of Sciences Po, France’s most prestigious factory for the elite. The two others are the EU bubble-friendly Arancha González Laya and Luis Vassy, my Parisian colleague Jason Wiels reports. 
RSVP: ​​Corporate Europe Observatory, LobbyControl, Transparency International EU and The Good Lobby are still waiting for an acknowledgment of receipt or an answer to their letter to Ursula von der Leyen calling for better enforcement of lobbying rules. And so are we!
— As new EU law looms, researchers find many ‘green labels’ fall short of sustainability promises (ICIJ)
— Colère des ONG dans l’affaire Nestlé : 3 milliards d’euros de fraude, seulement 2 millions d’amende (Mediapart)
CONSULTANCY
Carmen Bell has joined APCO as managing director of the Brussels office. Prior to that, she was Portland’s senior partner for Europe.
Ksenia Duxfield-Karyakina joined Forefront Advisers as managing director of emerging technology. She was previously head of regulatory strategy and public policy at Google Cloud in Europe.
Alex Wagner has been promoted to consultant at Trilligant, Lusine Petrosyan to senior consultant and Ainhoa Segurola Uli is now associate consultant.
MOBILITY
Julien Hoez has started as media relations manager at the European Automobile Manufacturers’​ Association. He was previously public affairs manager at the European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists’ Colours Industry. 
AFCEA International named retired Italian Rear Admiral Massimo Esposito, the former Maritime Operations Center manager at NATO headquarters, as the new general manager for AFCEA Europe. 
Airlines for Europe (A4E) appointed Davide Maistro as policy sirector and Beatrice Pepe as communications officer. Maistro joins from Fleishman Hillard and Pepe from BSEF, the International Bromine Council.
ENERGY
Andreas Guth is appointed as Eurogas Secretary General, following his appointment by the General Assembly on 29 August 2024. He has been leading the policy team of the association over the last five years
INDUSTRY 
Anthony Gooch Gálvez was appointed secretary general of the European Round Table for Industry. Previously, he was a member of the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science & Technology.
Tracey Wingate has transitioned to chief global affairs officer at the Investment Company Institute (ICI), taking over from Mike Pedroni. 
Claudia Grau joined the ICI as director of public policy and regulation. She was previously Penta Group’s director.
Anke Klein joined the ICI’s office in Brussels as managing director. Prior to that, she worked as a consultant and served as deputy mayor of Utrecht.
Un grand merci à: Max Griera Andreu, Šejla Ahmatović, Sarah Wheaton, Eddy Wax, my editor Paul Dallison, and La Femme’s bittersweet melody for the rentrée.