30/01/2026
A recent in-depth article by Elena Nalon and Reineke Hameleers offers a timely reminder of a lesson The Good Lobby has long championed: lasting social change depends on political power, not public support alone.
Using animal protection in the European Union as a case study, the authors show how citizen mobilisation – from European Citizens’ Initiatives to large-scale public consultations – can successfully place issues on the political agenda. Yet they also highlight a recurring weakness across many social movements: without sustained, professional advocacy inside institutions, those gains remain vulnerable.
Despite overwhelming public backing and strong scientific evidence, progress on EU animal welfare legislation has been hesitant. The article makes clear why. Behind closed doors, well-resourced industry actors continue to exert disproportionate influence over policymaking. Civil society organisations, by contrast, are often under-represented, under-funded and under-equipped to operate in these highly technical political arenas.
This is where democratising lobbying becomes crucial. The authors point to initiatives such as The Good Lobby, founded by Prof Alberto Alemanno, which aim to empower non-profits and citizens to engage in policymaking with the same level of professionalism as corporate lobbyists – but in the public interest and with democratic accountability. When reclaimed by civil society, lobbying is not a threat to democracy; it is one of its essential tools.
Beyond the specific case of animal protection, the article raises broader questions relevant to all movements seeking systemic change:
- Are resources being invested where they can achieve the greatest long-term impact?
- Is political advocacy treated as core infrastructure, or as a secondary activity?
- And are funders and organisations equipped to measure and communicate political progress?
At The Good Lobby, we strongly agree with the article’s central message: citizen participation must be translated into binding laws and enforceable policies. Public campaigns, corporate commitments and grassroots mobilisation are powerful, but without professional advocacy inside institutions, they rarely deliver durable change.
If democracy is to work for the many – including those without economic power or political voice – civil society must invest in the skills, structures and strategies needed to counterbalance concentrated interests. Political advocacy is not optional. It is the bridge between public will and lasting change.
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