Ah, yeah. I live in the US so it's a bit of a different situation here. Political polarization in a two-party system means that the decision makers are rarely actually listening. We rely on the EU to regulate our technology, so generally the same situation makes us feel disempowered because, well, we are. The people who make the rules don't represent us.
I’m part of a volunteer group that lobbies congresspeople about climate change, and there’re at least a few examples of it making a very obvious difference (for example, one republican member of congress started the conservative climate caucus after going on a nature walk with some members of this group, it now counts over half of all republican members of congress as members). So I’d caution from adopting this idea that it’s all useless, it’s not. A lot of times, they’re just not hearing that their constituents really care about these things. They’re only human.
I hope you don't take it as an offense, but this seems like learned hopelessness. Have you earnestly tried to speak to a decision-maker?
Not everyone in the EU will listen to you, either. There is a bit of a learning curve. Sometimes, you have to apply pressure through specific channels in specific ways, such as influencing stakeholders. Sometimes, you even have to form an organization for your cause. But not always. Sometimes, it just takes time to find someone who will listen. But effort it does take.
