The lobbyist has learnt to count

In the Senate, the lobbying bill has been stalled since the summer in the Constitutional Affairs Committee. Meanwhile, the market it is intended to regulate is reorganising itself. OpenEconomics, a Rome-based economic analysis firm in which Davide Serra’s Algebris Investments holds a stake, has acquired 100 per cent of Inrete, one of Italy’s leading public affairs agencies: founded in 2010 by Simone Dattoli, it employs over one hundred professionals across Milan, Rome and Brussels. The deal also includes a majority stake in Inrete Digital, the division specialising in online reputation management and social media campaigns. Banco Bpm is the sole financing bank.

This has given rise to an integrated platform for economic analysis, institutional relations and strategic communication for businesses and the public sector. In other words, those who assess the value of a public policy decision and those who explain it to the decision-makers now work within the same group. OpenEconomics develops socio-economic impact models and supports large businesses and public authorities in the management of public funding. Back in February, it had already acquired T33, a specialist consultancy providing technical support for programmes funded by the European Union. Two acquisitions in eight months, both moving in the same direction: to cover the entire cycle of public policy, from the call for proposals right through to discussions with Parliament and government departments.

The idea has its own logic, and illustrates how the profession has changed. The old-school lobbyist thrived on diaries and corridors. Today’s lobbyist turns up at a hearing with an estimate of job creation and the impact on GDP. This is required by European rules on impact assessment; it was imposed by the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) era with its accounting of objectives and targets; and it is demanded by public decision-makers who must justify every euro. Gianluca Calvosa, chairman of OpenEconomics, puts it this way: “In a context of growing uncertainty and limited resources, it is not enough simply to allocate resources correctly: we must demonstrate, in a credible and comprehensible manner, the value that decisions generate for all stakeholders involved”. Inrete will retain its identity and full operational autonomy, a decision that nevertheless keeps two closely related professions distinct. Dattoli, who remains at the helm of Inrete as chief executive, speaks of combining “the precision of data with the effectiveness of communication”. For those on the other side of the table, the change also has a practical benefit. A ministry or commission receiving impact assessments – even biased ones – has something to compare, challenge or set against the estimates of those who hold differing views. An argument based on figures can be verified; one based on reports, far less so. Public debate stands to gain from this, provided that the assumptions underlying the models remain transparent.

The state is moving more slowly in this sector. On 29 January, the Chamber of Deputies approved the draft bill on interest representation, with Nazario Pagano of Forza Italia as the lead sponsor: 122 votes in favour, 104 abstentions, none against. The text provides for a public register of lobbyists to be managed by the CNEL, a code of ethics and a supervisory committee. The opposition would have preferred an independent authority such as the Antitrust Authority or AGCOM. Industry insiders complain that the bill almost entirely ignores digital lobbying – precisely the area in which Inrete Digital operates. In the Senate, consideration of the bill stalled on 3 August and, at the request of the M5S, the text was transferred from the drafting committee to the referring committee, with the resulting delays. This has resulted in a curious imbalance. The Italian public affairs sector – a sector which, according to estimates cited by MF, is worth around 100 million euros a year – is consolidating, attracting funds and banks, purchasing econometric models and gearing up for Brussels. The law that is supposed to determine who can knock on which door, and how, has yet to be enacted.