Why would I get an email from a PR Company saying that Lisbon is about to get ‘very spicy’? I’m on my way to taste Piri Piri in Portugal maybe they knew this?

No I was getting a press release to tell me about the publication of a book by a staff member in a European Parliament and political grouping and current advisor to Pat Cox in the Ireland for Europe campaign.  (I can’t find her name on the Ireland for Europe page on their team though?)

The author is Regina O’Connor who worked for FF MEP’s and their former party grouping UEN and now works for ALDE in the European Parliament. Previously she has worked in the Euopean Commission and also on the Irish Presidency. A qualified solicitor [Qualified – surely they all are?], Regina has written a book on Europe and how it all works. Entitled European Union – The Reasons Why, An Taoiseach has written the foreword.

The Reasons Why was written to address a communications vacuum over many years about the European Union and how it works for the citizens of Europe. The book　gives voters who are looking for the right information on the Lisbon Treaty exactly what they need. This book is a guide of factual information to help inspire the current public debate.　

I then go look at this Youtube and that’s when I start getting worried at the possibility I’m being led up a garden path.

You can read chapters of the book for free until the beginning of October here. There’s a bit on the flight of the Earls, and Red O’Donnell and the like and why the Irish have always been in Europe. The other sample chapter is all about the Treaty and the guarantees.

So there’s an odd URL for the website, a badly produced Youtube, the bookcover for an e-book which is all about the author and the fact that I’ve never heard of her before. Is this a case of the We Belongs? ie. campaign staff rather busy looking for the next job than the campaign they are working on? Or some ingenious ruse by Ganley?  Some new age health guru is behind the PR and he has an article about the book and it’s author (Political Spice?) is in Examiner.com.   It’s the oddest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

(Psst Regina there are loads of people good at online PR out there who can do better Youtbes and promotion, even some search engine optimisation, just shout and I’m sure they’ll come running. )