The lobbyists Legal changes introduced by the European legislation have opened the sector to competition and weakened monopolies”. Thus, relays between the economic and the political worlds have become imperative, according to Jean-Christophe Adler, founding director of the specialized consultancy Affaires Publiques consultants and President of AFCL (French association for lobbying consultancies) between 2004 and 2009. “Either we work for the monopolists or we work for their opponents. One third of our activity is due to the opening of markets. The rest of it concerns regulated business sectors – such as the multimedia or health industries – whose actors need to express their opinions and to participate in the legislative process”. More and more companies are creating “Public affairs” departments. “That does not stop us from working together. Companies need to enlarge their network; they can rely on a vision from the outside”, said Jean-Christophe Adler. Clients also like consultancies for their involvement and for the fact that they can work closely together.
