Changes in interest group access in times of crisis: no pain, no (lobby) gain

The outbreak of Covid-19 provoked a massive shock for political institutions and societal groups. A crucial question is how such an external event affects the balance access to gatekeepers. In particular: Are organizations, which are highly affected by crisis, able increase their voice? To address this, we focus on changes in lobbying key venues public policy: government, parliament, bureaucracy, media across 10 European democracies. Based novel survey data, assess shortly after Covid-19. Our findings show that affectedness important driver all venues. We interpret this as good news functioning systems interest representation, ability gatekeepers open doors However, also effect varies considerably economic non-economic interests.