at the beginning of the Lobbyist alone in the kitchen. Martin Schläpfer rasps Apples. Then SVP-councillor Alex Kuprecht, grabs an apron, and is frying the perch. CVP-the Swiss Council of States Filippo Lombardi enters the kitchen, sees the EPP-national councillor Marianne Streiff and says: “Look, another woman at the stove.” SP national councillor Eric Nussbaumer does not add the caps, want to cook today.
Schläpfer welcomes the politician warmly – anything else would be an understatement. “Sali, Alex, hoi an, Eric!” There’s a saying, there are three kisses. He is the man of the Evening, for his sake, you are come to the twelfth Soirée Sélection in Bern. Cook and eat and drink at the former star chef Urs Hauri. Famous, notorious, sought-after. 40 people are on the guest list, a fraction of those who would like to come. Here, politicians, chief officers, Association officials, and journalists. “The mix matters,” says Schläpfer. The man is the chief lobbyist of the Migros, 63 years old, the end of the year he assigns.
Schläpfer is a man of powerful and with a moustache, which corresponds to the proportions. “Great in every respect”, called CVP national councillor Ruth Humbel of the lobbyists Schläpfer. There is no speaking negatively about the Schaffhausen. On the contrary, You are grieving today, already, about his imminent departure. “People like Schläpfer from dying,” says Kuprecht. Schläpfer is a Lobbyist of the old school, his craft do the Talking. Power point presentations foreign, on paper, distributed voting recommendations are also. Politicians, like the. Many modern lobbyists today, dozens of mandates from different clients. Schläpfer has only one: the Migros.
hours earlier, Schläpfer sits in his office in the old town of Bern and declared the profession of lobbyist, as he sees him. A name that lobbyists like only moderately, a taste, Chen wrapped in their work. They prefer to call themselves political consultants, Public Affairs expert or a bridge Builder.
Are you a good Lobbyist?
I have just done my Job. Good Lobbying is a tightrope walk. It is no misstep. Otherwise, the credibility is gone.
Can you buy Decisions?
no. With money, one can create an optimal environment, but do not Decide to buy. Politicians can not be put under pressure.
you Can fool politicians?
(Thinks for a long time) no. Maybe you can’t say everything on the subject.
Hardly anyone knows that the Federal house is as good as Martin Schläpfer. He was 18 years of Covenant house, a journalist, and moved in 2003 to become chief lobbyist for the Migros. His claim: to know all the.
run counter to it either Bern’s life. His wife, he has learned in the Federal house. She tells him that the Talk would be more than listening. In fact, If Schläpfer comes once in motion, tends to he lied to mono. Schläpfer network, without demanding anything in return. He says. Is confirmed by the politicians. He goes with some members of Parliament to play Tennis, he organized Golf tournaments, he has called a regular meeting for French-speaking politicians, the Détachement Moléson. And because the Soirée is Sélection. It seems that the apérogestählte Schläpfer-creating beautiful places for politicians to come into a dialogue with them. At the same time he penetrates casually in their sub-consciousness. In the spirit of its owner.
criticism, there are hardly any and if, then only behind closed doors. “The fine blade is not his thing.” Means: Schläpfer, it can be loud. He says that sometimes he will have an emotional boost. Who concealed a weakness so skillfully, the white also sent to place his arguments.
perhaps His greatest achievement, he has not done but in dealing with politicians, but when you own employer. Thanks Schläpfer, Migros now has a political opinion. About the pensions reform 2020. The Migros is not supported, even though they sold more eggs or milk. Schläpfer emphasises the social responsibility of the largest private employer in Switzerland, on the one hand. On the other hand, he knows that politics is about Give and Take. At some time in the pays.
in mid-November held Schläpfer a speech at the University of St. Gallen. The non-academics explained to the students his Work and took stock. Slide 13: The most important achievements of the past twelve years. Green the success of colored. Red is a result of the miss. The film is mostly green, but a pair of red fields there are. One hurts him, he will repeat it at the Soirée Sélection several times, once as a subordinate clause, as a slight tip to the parliamentarians: The liberalisation of shop opening hours, you have sent in 2016 bachab. Was not in his sense.
you Convince a Left is different than Right?
Difficult question. Both tend to be tend to be less mobile than the politicians in the middle.
What is more effective: a lunch or mandatory initiatives? to peddle
With prepared texts, this is not my style. I always speak members of the first Parliament. But if a politician asks me, for him, a Motion to prepare, then I’ll do it.
Whom do you rather, a national Council or a councillor?
In the national Council, there are today in major transactions, the group forced, that is, you must not vote against the party line. Therefore, it is usually more useful, a Council of States. Are independent, because my influence is greater. Maybe so many Ständeräte are also at the Soirée Sélection, six of the 46 are because of. It is a Tradition that the Council of States President holds a speech and the Geneva councillor Robert Cramer of the six wines, each with a lot of frills on the menu. “For me, the lobby occasion,” says SVP councillor Alex Kuprecht, “that’s leisure.” Schläpfer says, the Nice thing about this evening was Informal, you could also ask without the Stress and pressure: “Where klemmts?”
The lobbyists business has changed in the past 20 years, it has become a boom industry. Up in the 90s, nothing went without the Big linker, powerful men from the economy, which had in the military, high Grade, and at the same time policy is made. All the threads together for those few, mostly free thinking men, accompanied by a constant felt suspicion.
Since then, it has been a professionalization, agencies emerged, such as those of Farner or Furrerhugi, the two market leaders. And thus, the number of lobbyists increased. To have a lot of it, a crush is now in the Federal house, say the politicians at the Soirée Sélection. “You take us in the cafe of the courts,” says Eric Nussbaumer. Density stress in the Federal house. CVP national councillor Stefan Müller-Altermatt says, sometimes, you know, for what the lobbyists are, so many mandates they have.
Schläpfer see the critical, as well as the lack of self-criticism in its industry. “The biggest lobbyists crouching is already in the Federal house,” he says. Parliamentarians, who are in associations of active or the Board of Directors in the company. Schläpfer has observed over the years, as more and more politicians are already preparing in the office with mandates on the time as a non-politician. He considers this to be the most worrying development.
How important is the first-name basis?
A very sensitive issue. Actually, it carries as a Lobbyist or a member of Parliament not You.
you are but with a lot of by You.
That’s right. This results from the fact that you know since years and always met.
Helps alcohol in the Lobby?
alcohol is a common beverage. It is so, you drink. For a teetotaller, it would be difficult in some rounds. We’ve had evenings that you: oh, là là say. Because you met a party President or a future Federal Council is of a completely different page.
It’s 21.34 o’clock is now at the Soirée Sélection. At the table with the welschen politicians to the Council of States Chairman Jean-René Fournier and Ex-President of the national Council, Dominique de Buman, member of the they began to sing together with Filippo Lombardi, in two voices, not bad at all. Cooking Hauri is required at the table, the politicians ‘ minds a Lust for Whiskey. Schläpfer is a number and holds his table, he also possesses the rare gift of the lectures will be known.
the night almost to the end, rises to the Migros chief Fabrice Zumbrunnen. He holds a speech at the Migros, he is grateful for the cooperation and speaks of the Migros “need the best framework conditions”. For the first Time this evening it comes to hard-hitting economic interests of the Migros. Kathy Riklin says goodbye with a ringing phone. Filippo Lombardi is struggling with falling Asleep, again and again, the eyes fall to him, and even Martin Schläpfer to whispers to his neighbours at the table a joke. Not all the Lobbying is easy.
(editing Tamedia)
Created: 14.12.2018, 19:20 Uhr
