Last Friday, 14th December, the seventh edition of the "Proa Communication Observatory". On this occasion, the guest speaker was David Córdova, the architect and driving force behind the concept of the standardisation of lobbying in Spain. Córdova is a founding partner of Vincesa firm specialising in public, regulatory and government affairs. He advises business associations and companies in the tourism, health, food, technology and energy sectors, among others. He is also director of the "Lobby & Advocacy: public and private interest management"He has worked as a consultant at the Instituto de Empresa Business School and has worked as an advisor to the Commission on Government Reform of the US Congress.
The presentation began with a brief reflection on the prevailing distrust in the West. Distrust towards the public sector and those who govern, which leads to a destructuring of society, which is not represented and does not participate in legislative processes. According to Córdova, the problem with this disaffection is that participation is beneficial for everyone, whether it is constructive, collaborating in the drafting of laws, or as a form of pressure on the legislative power to try to stop a law or a certain aspect that they consider to be negative for their interests.
Lobbying must be done in a transparent manner and must be governed by the principle of equality, the speaker stressed. An equality that should make it easier for all companies to apply to open public processes and to actively participate in legislation in their areas of work, said Córdova.
Until now, the usual way to reach the legislator was through contacts, which generated a first approach to the politician. Gradually, this idea is becoming less and less important, since if you want to participate in the drafting of legislation, you have to do it with professionals, Córdova stressed. Professionals who know what the main interests are and who are clear about which aspects can and cannot be discussed with the interlocutor.
Another way to influence the legislator in order to attract attention and generate pressure to increase the chances of being heard is to use the media as a forum for dialogue between stakeholders. For the partner of Vincesis the ideal place to express one's point of view and opinion on issues that directly affect one's life.
Proa Communication Observatory is a discussion forum to analyse new trends in the field of corporate communication. The Proa Observatory is born with the vocation of being a laboratory of ideas where a genuine dialogue is fostered to debate topics such as: corporate reputation, branding and public affairs as key elements in business improvement.