Julien Hoez is the Public Affairs Manager at CEPE. Here, he talks to us about his unconventional route into the Brussels Bubble, why EU affairs needs to open up to more diversity, his work with Gina Miller and his advice for new public affairs practitioners.

Can you tell us about your career journey so far?

My career journey has been quite unorthodox for Brussels. I am a French national and grew up in the UK. I started working at 15 to earn some pocket change, and I covered different roles across insurance, PR, public affairs and research until my mid-20s. At the same time, I did political activity in my personal time.

While I continued to follow French politics from a distance, I began volunteering for campaigns in my local area of London at a young age. This experience made me realise that I wanted to be more engaged in politics both in the UK and France, and this snowballed until I got involved in the flurry of Brexit campaigns.

The turning point came with the Brexit vote, which unexpectedly propelled my career. I entered the scene as a French kid fresh out of uni commenting on Brexit and quickly developed into a political commentator and adviser. I appeared across the media to break down what Brexit was, what it meant for the average person in the UK, and what the EU had to do with the UK.

This seems like fundamental knowledge to many of us, but people should remember that one of the top Google searches in the UK after the Brexit referendum was “What is the EU?“. As a result, my work at the time was primarily educational, focusing on helping people understand what the EU was and did, the various Treaties, and the functionality of the European Parliament and the European institutions.

One day, Gina Miller found my work on Twitter (of all places) and asked me to join her team. I worked with Miller for a couple of years, managing her campaigns related to the European Parliament elections and the General Elections of 2019. I was advising her on what was happening in Brussels, making sure she was well connected on the mainland. Alongside my work with Miller, I was an active member of La République En Marche! (Now known as Renaissance), all while managing a think tank.

Despite my experience on the ground, I realised that I wasn’t quite being taken seriously simply due to my resume not having a master’s degree or any of the big schools on it. This led me to take a detour to get a master’s degree in European Politics and External Relations at the University of Amsterdam.

Post-master’s, I joined the European Liberal Forum, the political foundation of the ALDE party. In this role as a political expert, I supported the development of the organisation’s political direction, supporting all teams and ensuring smooth operations across the board.

After a few years and a much-needed break from political endeavours, I moved to CEPE – European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists’ Colours Industry – where I am now.

In the meantime, I also set up and still manage the publication called The French Dispatch (TFD) in September 2021, with the goal being to help people understand what’s happening in France, Europe, and the wider world. The idea for TFD emerged serendipitously during a casual conversation with a friend after a few drinks and now has become a popular publication followed by MPs, MEPs, heads of Commission DGs, Public Affairs officials, and the general public.

You bring a non-traditional background to Public Affairs compared to many of your peers. Do you view this as a hurdle or an asset to your career, and why?

It is definitely an asset in terms of how it gives you a different view of the world.

Typically, people in Brussels will have followed a standard path: a grande école, a master’s degree, potentially COE, a couple of traineeships, and then they land their first job – all of which is perfectly fine. However, there’s also a substantial number of people who come from a working-class background and have a lot to contribute but don’t have all the resources or opportunities available to them that others do, forcing them to take a different path.

While this often requires that these people start working very young, often working through their university studies to make ends meet, miss out on a social life, or even work multiple jobs to save up to do a degree, there’s also a huge benefit: you’ve developed stronger skills and more experience than your contemporaries.

When you start working at a young age, and through the fact that you have to overcome several hurdles, you often develop a strong work ethic that goes a long way to overcoming some of the issues that there are in not having many opportunities in the first place. While it can be incredibly frustrating for those who have to go down this path, not only does it develop a level of grit that many won’t have, but you’ll develop a different set of skills and views that will supplement the core skills you develop in the bubble.

Plus, you’ll gain an appreciation for how you got there in the first place.

However, one significant hurdle still exists: despite the EU’s efforts, the Brussels Bubble has yet to become a fully inclusive space for the average working-class individual interested in EU affairs. The landscape is tilted towards the more privileged, middle-class and highly educated individuals, who are effectively set up to succeed, and this composition can create barriers for many people when attempting to engage in Brussels.

When you think about social inclusion in both the public and private sectors in Brussels, do you believe there is room for improvement? If so, how do you think a system could foster greater social inclusion?

First, properly studying the socio-economic classes present in the institutions and the Brussels bubble would be a valuable first step; proper research seems to be lacking. Intuitively and based on my experience, diversity is less of a problem in the Public Affairs industry than in the institutions.

People from different socio-economic classes should be encouraged to be involved in EU affairs. I’ve spent several years running Model EU simulations to help young people – particularly those with specific backgrounds – understand how the EU works. I’ve seen young people without prior knowledge of the EU developing a great interest in it, which was deeply rewarding.

Adding to this, interacting with people outside of our bubble has many benefits, such as information or experience. I like doing it regularly to add to my perspective as an experienced campaign manager, a public affairs expert, and, more broadly, someone who has to make sense of the Brussels bubble, Brussels politics and policy. This perspective is crucial as it eventually translates into our work’s impact on ordinary citizens’ lives.

I feel that many in the Brussels bubble do not make enough effort to connect with those outside, contributing to the perception of it being a competitive rat race where career advancement often takes precedence. Addressing the broader issue, my opinion is that there should be less elitism in the EU bubble. Interacting and treating people solely based on their perceived importance or how useful they are for our careers is pointless – but sadly, people do it a lot.

Beyond your work in EU affairs, you are an expert in geopolitics and share insights on French politics through The French Dispatch. How do you think your broader knowledge and interest enhance your current role?

Everybody’s expertise benefits their work in some way, and in my case, my expertise in geopolitics significantly impacts my Public Affairs work. It allows me to put things into context, see where things are heading, how certain politicians will act, and what my space for action is. With a knowledge of political affairs, you will be able to have a broader understanding of the situation and make the right decisions as a PA professional.

For example, if I were working for an industry whose production is very de-localised, I could look at the supply chain issues caused by geopolitical turmoil in some parts of the world and anticipate price inflations. In such a situation, any legislative pressure that potentially adds to the crisis would put my members in a position where they will lack financial solvability. Likewise, if my work were related to a dossier whose rapporteur is an MEP who is under a lot of pressure to get re-elected in his country, their approach to the policy would be very different.

Also, the broader knowledge I get from working on French politics gives me the tools to understand better where some legislations are coming from or whether a member state will be pushing some topics.

Effectively, this knowledge has benefited my career a lot, and it is what I aim to bring to my readers through The French Dispatch. I’ve observed many instances of misinterpretation of French political affairs and politics across various media outlets. During the French Presidency of the European Council in 2022, it became evident that not everyone understands French (it hurts our souls, but we forgive you).

My involvement with organisations like EU DisinfoLab, coupled with my campaigning against misinformation/disinformation, has fuelled my commitment to make sure that people have accurate information to understand our reality. This extends to my role as a public affairs professional and my work on TFD. Clarifying complex issues written in a language not universally understood and providing perspective to events (like I did with the Emmanuel Macron drama over the Taiwan issue, for example) is extremely rewarding.

Every leader has a crown jewel in their career. What is the achievement you are most proud of?

I’d say it was when I worked for Gina Miller as an advisor and a campaign manager during the 2019 elections. We built two incredibly impactful campaigns that boosted the votes for the Lib Dems in the 2019 European Parliamentary elections, making them the second-largest British party on the European level. Later that year, we ran a similar action in the British General Election, curbing Boris Johnson’s expected majority from a projected 160-165 seats to the mid-80s range.

We did this through a concrete knowledge of the political landscape, an understanding of communication strategies and implementation, a robust knowledge of the cultural situation and just sheer grit and determination. The impact was tangible, influencing the power dynamics of the Brexiteers in the UK and shaping subsequent policies. And above all else, it was just a lot of fun. And I guess I could also mention TFD as an achievement I am proud of, but then I’d be talking a bit too much about myself…

When have you faced a significant challenge and how did you navigate it?

Not having a master’s degree was a big challenge when trying to advance my career in the political sphere, especially as the barrier was entirely financial! The biggest issue is that, without a master’s degree, no matter what you’re doing or have done, you always have to work three or 4x more to prove yourself and to be allowed to have a voice.

For example, despite simultaneously working with several organisations—Gina Miller, my former Think Tank, the3million (an NGO negotiating the rights of EU citizens post-Brexit) – I sensed I was not being taken seriously purely due to the absence of the “right” degree.

However, to navigate this challenge, I just found another way of circumventing the prejudices that people have and worked on developing my branding, communications, and advertising. At the same time, I saved up for several years to eventually get my master’s degree.

I invested in learning how to present my experience and knowledge best while combining the grit and determination I got from growing up as a working-class kid in Croydon with my political knowledge and expertise to stand my ground best and navigate situations. This hands-on learning experience (in a pre-Chat-GPT world) was a massive help in developing professionally.

What are skills or experiences you believe are crucial for success in Public Affairs?

Honestly, this sounds corny, but the most important thing is to believe in yourself. People don’t consider it a skill, but I do. Believe in your ambition of contributing to the EU or whatever your goal is, and then do what you can to develop the skills to get there. Even though you may not have the privilege required to get the easy way up, you should go for it and do your best.

Secondly, you should look to develop a humanistic way of looking at your world. PA professionals should remember that they ultimately deal with human beings and influence decisions that impact everyday people. Suppose you don’t see the human element of this profession, of your contacts or teams. In that case, your work will become Frankenstein-like, and you will lack the component that makes the work of a PA official make sense or help you understand institutional and governmental officials more easily.

Lastly, one of the most essential skills of a public affairs manager or officer is the ability to simplify. You have to be able to break down current events and developments to their most basic level. In public affairs, you must make things as simple as possible to reach people – be they colleagues, MEPs, or citizens. The simpler, the better, and the better you can communicate, the better the quality of your work will be.

What advice do you have for entry-level public affairs professionals as they navigate the early stages of their careers and try to build a name for themselves?

First and foremost – you need to be happy about what you do! Don’t chase jobs that will make you miserable for money or status, as this strategy will likely make your life unpleasant and possibly lead to premature hair loss (a path I’m heading towards myself, so don’t be too upset if I hit a nerve!). Whether working in the institutions or elsewhere, do it because you genuinely enjoy it, not because of your idea of attaining privilege. Dedicate yourself wholeheartedly because your efforts and commitment will propel you further than any degree or privilege could.

Don’t compare yourselves to your peers – because that will kill you. You will meet individuals who boast impressive academic backgrounds, secure great jobs through connections, and appear to have more opportunities than you, which can be disheartening. But you have to remember that opportunity is what you make of it. Even if someone has a significant head start, it doesn’t guarantee a better chance of success.

This is why you need to think long-term. Consider how you can ensure short-term stability while working towards your goal. Focus on developing the skills to make yourself an expert in your chosen field. Have a vision of what you want to achieve, but at the same time, be flexible.

As the saying goes, “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry” – everyone will have plans that don’t work out. Learn to overcome setbacks, adapt, and develop the skills to reach your aspirations.

Engaging with decision-makers is a crucial aspect of public affairs. What is the etiquette you consider essential when interacting with decision-makers?

I may not be the right person to answer this… in my perspective, whether you’re interacting with MEPs, Commissioners, Heads of Units, or SGs, remember that you’re engaging with normal human beings. While I may eventually reach a point in my career where my bones are brittle, and I advocate for addressing stakeholders with formalities on LinkedIn, I believe that treating them as individuals and communicating in a friendly manner will give you reciprocation and attentive listening.

The stereotypical view of “lobbyists”, as we’re sometimes called, from the 90s-80s-70s is gone now, and most MEPs are much more receptive to conversations with public affairs professionals. Being kind and treating people with respect can go a long way in Brussels. As cliché as it may sound, the advice your parents and teachers gave you when you were seven still holds true – be nice, and people will likely be friendly in return!

2024 will see major national and European elections, conflicts unfolding in the Middle East and Ukraine, rising tensions in Asia, and an evolving energy-power map reshaping with the energy transition. What are you most looking forward to witnessing this year?

First, I am an election fanatic. The fact that we will see almost half the world’s population heading to the polls, including the U.S. and the European elections, is phenomenal to me. What a time to be alive! I am excited. Aside from that, I’m curious to see how the European Parliament shapes up, even though the outlook seems a bit challenging for everyone but the right.

It may be a fool’s hope, but I am hoping that we will see a bit more stability and hope in the world. I’d like to see Trump lose, the Eurosceptics not do so well (which, sadly, does not seem to be likely), and I’d like to see a positive outcome in the Ukrainian defensive war against Russia.

Ultimately, one needs hope, especially given the current state of Brussels politics – not exactly a fun or great time. Of course, it would also be nice to see some nicer resolutions to some legislative files, but then I think I may be barking up the wrong tree!

Tell us one thing that you’d want to see less of in the Brussels Bubble, and one that you’d like to see more of.

Above all else, I want to see more working-class citizens feeling empowered to come and work in the Brussels Bubble. Even though we’ve made many strides, there is still a long way to go to encourage genuine social mobility and move away from the easy access to EU careers that privilege affords some.

I’d also be delighted to see better working practices across most of Brussels. I’m seeing far too many of my colleagues across Brussels who are seemingly skirting burnout already, and it’s only January! I’d like to see individuals being a bit more cautious of their staff, people looking after themselves, and generally just being a bit nicer.

I am seeing many more citizen-led initiatives penetrating at the EU level, and this is where I think the PA professional has an opening where they can contribute. Looking ahead, the efforts of PA professionals, combined with more transparency in the institutions, can lead to an increase in citizen-led initiatives, which could be very beneficial. There is still weak public knowledge of the workings and impact of the European Union. A solid public perception of the files would make them develop quite differently. I would also like to see more citizens involved in the so-called “Public Consultations”, which today are effectively business-led.

Behind every successful individual, there’s often a unique ritual or practice that fuels their success. Can you share a behind-the-scenes ritual or habit that has been instrumental in your professional life?

As a former competitive sports enthusiast, maintaining a connection with sports is significant. Sadly, I don’t do as much as I would like to because politics takes up a lot of my time … nevertheless, I make an effort to incorporate a few runs a week and a couple of yoga sessions here and there to prevent my body from turning into a solid plank of wood by age 40.

I am also an avid tango dancer, and engaging in more artistic activities has more than a few benefits regarding how I look at the world and my work, with a more artistic viewpoint allows me to think outside the box. I’ve been told I naturally have a “unique” way of looking at politics, and it’s hard to say how much of that is me and how much of that is a tango… but it has always been a helpful influence!

Do you have any last words to address to our readers? I am sure some people will read this while contemplating a career in the Brussels Bubble, and my main advice would be to be kind to yourself. Don’t criticise yourself for not following the conventional path. Embrace the humanity of your work; otherwise, you’re more likely to produce toxicity. Pursue what brings you joy.

From identifying stakeholders and tracking legislation to measuring your results, DeHavilland can help you with all your public affairs needs. Get in touch to find out more.