Mantas Zakarka: Policymaking Without Dialogue Is the Fastest Route to Bad Regulation | Blind Spot #27
PODCAST
2/25/20261 min read
With Mantas, we explored a wide range of issues surrounding interest representation and the very different attitudes towards lobbying in Lithuania and Brussels.
What is lobbying, and what isn't? Why are there still politicians in Lithuania who proudly declare that they haven't met with anyone? Why do American lawmakers and government officials meet with representatives of all legal industries, while in Lithuania someone seems to decide which industries are more or less legitimate?
Is it in the public interest to know who shaped Lithuania's position on issues being decided at the EU level, and what that position actually was? Why is business treated as an interest group, while the interests of other groups in society are automatically regarded as the public interest?
We also discussed the lack of a genuine culture of political debate and why laws can still be drafted and passed in just one week, even without invoking an expedited legislative procedure.
