Consulting in today’s European arena often goes beyond national borders. Thus, bilateral relations are part of national and international politics and their nature requires consultants who wish to work in this arena to have in-depth knowledge of the structures and procedures necessary to succeed.
Bilateral relations are more concentrated, require more specialization, and go beyond interest-driven politics. One example: France and Germany, which have developed strong bilateral ties in a number of areas. These partnerships do not develop only through political will or the insistence of civil society. There are people that function as “switches” for the communication canals between any two countries and the various actors therein. They map out how to bring two countries together and to form substantial bilateral ties. Being one of these “switches” can be difficult. So, what’s important when consulting in bilateral relations and what tools will lead to success?
Know your countries.
When political consultants start this process, they often have their “national glasses” on. This can be less than helpful. In this work, it’s important to gain an understanding that goes well beyond the interests of your own country. Your knowledge must capture the internal situation in both countries with an understanding of the interests, priorities, and challenges of both. In this way, you are able to readily identify common interests while at the same time gaining an awareness of areas of potential conflict.
In the past year, I accompanied a team of civil society actors from Germany to meetings in Greece with the aim of organizing bilateral youth exchange projects. One of the main challenges was to communicate the structures of the Greek youth association to the German youth association and vice versa. Clarifying available dates, school vacations, financing, and social factors as well as organizational structures of each country was paramount. We first had to tackle these basic issues before moving forward. By recognizing these challenges in advance, you save precious time and avoid misunderstandings.
Overcome language barriers.
While most consultants working in bilateral relations do speak both languages of the two countries they work on, it is not always the case. So before learning a new language here are some of the best practices I utilize in my work:
- Search for newspaper outlets from the country of interest that have a news section in English. Utilize international media that go beyond your national scope. Subscribe to newsletters of European news agencies that provide daily overviews of news from all European countries (like eurotopics or euractiv).
- Do your research on social media, using hashtags to see current dialogues: #Spain or #Italy, for example. Also, tracking Facebook Groups or following the Facebook pages of politicians, political activists, and ministries should give you a broad base of information regarding current topics, structures, and procedures, as well as political culture.
- When presenting policy papers or conducting meetings always make sure to utilize the skillset of translators and interpreters. Ensure that your written and spoken communication is excellent, especially where protocol dictates.
Get all the information you can and create your own analysis.
In this work, you will often need to go well beyond your own understanding of the issues at hand. Start with questions like, “What are the country’s current challenges and how do they tackle them?” or “What kind of historical ties exist between the two countries?” Even if you think you know the answers to these questions, make certain you ask them anyway.
Crucially, if you can do your own research, you should. In 2015, the Greek bailout referendum was about to take place. A client asked me what I thought the outcome would be. The polls projected a 52 percent vote for “yes”. However, my own social media analysis predicted the “no” was more likely to win, which it did. The lesson here is that if you have the tools to conduct your own analysis to supplement the information available to you, it’s well worth your time and effort to do so.
Create room for the people to get to know each other.
Bilateral relations tend to become very personal due to the intensity of the work. This makes it critical to be open to getting to know your counterpart and the counterparts of your client. Whether in official events or after work get-togethers, enter a dialogue with the other side and show genuine interest to establish trust. Trust always pays dividends, especially in bilateral relations.
A best practice for large events is to host an evening dinner that showcases the culture of both countries, allowing people to get to know one another and better understand each other’s culture. This enables trust.
Multilingualism, good use of online tools, and a socio-cultural understanding are paramount for political consultants both within the European Union and beyond the European border.
Charalampos “Babis” Karpouchtsis is a Greek-born political scientist and founder of polisis, which specializes in political consulting between Greece and Germany. He is currently doing his PhD at the Jena Center for Reconciliation Studies. He lives and works in Berlin.