Five reasons to continue your public affairs activities in a period of current affairs

With a government in current affairs, you might get the impression that maintaining contact with policy makers is pointless. However, the opposite is true! Here are five good reasons to keep on pursuing your Public Affairs activities while waiting for the formation of a Federal Government.

The ongoing period of current affairs on the federal level might be a cause for confusion. However, policy making is absolutely not at a standstill.

Here are five good reasons why you should continue your Public Affairs activities during this particular period:

1. The first one is the most obvious. Even though the Federal Government is in current affairs, the other five governments of Regions and Communities are operating at full speed. Many decisions that concern business and economic development pass through these bodies.
2. The administrations have not disappeared. Many actions can be carried out without waiting for the government’s decisions. Indeed, ministers may sign “ongoing” administrative acts. Healthcare covenants, banking authorisations or collective agreements are issued or concluded in periods of current affairs. It is definitely useful to contact members of the administrations in order to explain and advocate your point of view.
3. Political staff are more available. Even though Ministers will carry on with inaugurations, field visits and will keep on defending their policies in Parliament, they are still more available than during periods of full competence. This is all the more true for their teams. Such periods can therefore be capitalized on to establish contacts.
4. Political staff will not disappear. Even if cabinets are generally less crowded than in full term office, each minister still disposes of a substantial team. Staff members are not going to disappear once the Government is formed. On the contrary: it is often these people who will be dealing with your case in the future. Especially since members of ministerial cabinets also maintain regular relations with their peers of the same party in the regional governments. This is definitely a valuable opportunity to create a favourable climate for your activities that you should not lose sight of.
5. Don’t wait until it is too late. Reaching out to policy makers when major decisions are pending or just before a vote in Parliament is a not recommendable. Proactively building a relationship of trust “in tempore non suspecto” allowing you to present yourself in a comprehensive way, will enable you to intervene more effectively at times when it is crucial for your point of view to be clearly heard.