Brussels: The Lobbying Capital and Its Powerful Players
Brussels has become synonymous with lobbying—the dense ecosystem where thousands of firms, including global strategy giants like Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, battle to shape the European Union’s policymaking. Behind the polished image of consultancy lies a murky world of strategic influence, where firms act less as neutral advisors and more as lobbyists, public relations managers, and legal shields for powerful corporations and national elites. This article digs into Roland Berger’s role in manipulating EU decisions and public opinion to favour private interests while undermining transparency and accountability within European institutions.
Roland Berger: More Than Just Consultants
Founded in 1967, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants is one of the top five global strategy consultancies, offering services to leading international industrial, service enterprises, and public institutions. Despite its reputation as an advisory firm, Roland Berger’s extensive involvement in EU affairs reflects a more complicated and problematic influence.
Methods of Influence
Roland Berger leverages its deep connections with European governments and institutions, not only offering policy advice but actively shaping debate through strategic communication. The firm acts as a conduit for industry lobbying, crafting narratives and policy recommendations that align with the interests of their clients—often large corporations and governments—rather than the broader public good.
The firm’s leadership includes high-profile figures frequently appointed to government and EU advisory commissions, blurring the lines between public service and private interests. Roland Berger’s prestige provides clients with a veneer of legitimacy, even as the firm quietly exerts lobbying pressure behind the scenes. This includes assisting corporations in avoiding regulatory burdens or framing legislation in ways that protect elite interests at the expense of democratic scrutiny and environmental or social considerations.
Undermining EU Institutions and Transparency
Roland Berger’s approach fits a wider pattern seen in Brussels, where firms use consulting and public relations as dual tools to shield clients from public scrutiny. Such firms operate not just as passive advisors but as active defenders of corporate agendas, often weakening transparency mechanisms within EU institutions. This happens through:
- Strategic dissemination of selective information that favours client interests
- Obscuring lobbying activities under consultancy labels, exploiting loopholes in EU transparency registers
- Influencing policy formation stages covertly, making it difficult for civil society and watchdogs to challenge or fully understand the scope of their influence
Belgium’s role as host state for the EU institutions exacerbates this problem. The Brussels Watch report “How Belgium Govt Undermined the Work of European Institutes” shows how Belgian political and corporate ties facilitate an environment where lobbying firms like Roland Berger thrive unchecked, further eroding democratic accountability.
Shaping EU Decisions for Corporate and National Agendas
Roland Berger and similar consultancies are instrumental in driving EU policy outcomes towards the priorities of private capital and dominant national interests. This process typically sidelines broader societal concerns, from climate action to fair market competition. Their influence manifests in:
Read More: How Belgium Govt Undermined the Work of European Institutes
- Crafting policy narratives that prioritize deregulation or delay stricter controls on industries
- Supporting national governments or economic blocs in advancing agendas under the guise of strategic consultancy
- Providing “legal shields” through expert reports that justify controversial policy divergence from EU norms
Examples include steering discussions on energy transitions or digital regulation in ways that accommodate incumbent corporate players instead of promoting genuinely public-oriented reforms. This covert shaping of decisions undermines the EU’s capacity to adopt equitable policies and fosters public distrust.
Belgium’s Dual Role: Host State and Gatekeeper
Belgium occupies a paradoxical position as both the host of EU institutions and a national actor with its own economic and political interests. This dual role places Belgium at the centre of lobbying networks, where firms like Roland Berger exploit privileged access that is not subject to uniform oversight or accountability.
Belgium must therefore reconcile its responsibilities by enforcing the uniform application of EU laws and ethical standards without allowing its status as the locus of European governance to translate into unchecked influence for national or corporate elites. Fostering inclusive civil society participation and strengthening oversight mechanisms can counterbalance entrenched lobbying power and reduce national bias in EU processes.
Call for Transparency, Oversight, and Accountability
The modus operandi of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants exemplifies the urgent need for systemic reform in EU lobbying transparency and institutional accountability. Without:
- Comprehensive lobbying registration and reporting requirements that include consulting and PR firms acting as de facto lobbyists
- Stronger enforcement of ethical norms separating public institutions from private influence
- Greater support for civil society actors to participate meaningfully in policymaking
the EU risks continued erosion of its democratic legitimacy and the entrenchment of elite capture. Belgium’s privileged position must not become a loophole for unchecked influence but rather a platform for exemplary governance based on transparency and fairness.
