interview with Ronald Dofing
V listopadu minulého roku Arabskou navštívil velvyslanec Lucemburského velkovévodství pan Ronald Dofing. Setkání se studenty se konalo ve studovně, kde jsme strávili příjemné dopoledne, při kterém probíhala nejen debata o česko-lucemburských vztazích, práci velvyslance či pohledu na naši republiku, ale stihlo se i představení naší školy a několika talentovaných žáků. Jelikož se na setkání dostal jen omezený počet žáků, naše redakce pro zbytek z vás připravila krátký rozhovor.
Has becoming a diplomat and an ambassador always been your dream? When did you decide to become one?
Diplomacy was not initially on my professional wish list. I was rather heading towards becoming a language teacher, having followed a Hispanic studies curriculum at university. Following my time at Paris-Sorbonne, I became a research fellow (again on Spanish history) at the European University Institute in Florence. After a short in-house training at the European Commission in Brussels – where I worked for a while in their Cultural and Media Directorate, since I had also done a media and theater studies degree alongside my previous university studies – the Luxembourg Permanent Representation to the European Institutions in Brussels recruited me in 1991 in view of the Luxembourgish Presidency of the European Community (as the European Union was called in those remote days). From there on, I almost normally found myself back at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – the rest is (personal and European) history.
During my career, I have been lucky to experience some crucial events, such as the reunification of Germany, the end of the USSR and the democratic revolutions in central Europe, the creation of the ASEM – Asia/Europe Meeting Forum, the enlargement process of the EU etc. I have been involved to a variable extent in all of these historical developments mostly during time spent in Brussels, either at the European Council Secretariat or at the Luxembourg Permanent Representation.
After the successful „big bang“ enlargement of the EU following the accession of the Central European and some Mediterranean States, I became the first resident ambassador of Luxembourg to Poland, tasked firstly to establish the Embassy there and supervise the construction works. After five intense years spent in Warsaw, I moved in 2010 to the Luxembourg Embassy in Athens, where very soon I was confronted with the Euro crisis and the ensuing high level meetings.
In a way, the work of a diplomat seems to revolve mostly around some form or other of crisis management, and thisis again true of my present position here in Prague; being coaccredited as ambassador to Kyiv, the war in Ukraine is currently mobilising most of our
resources and attention.
Is there anything that people find surprising about the work of an ambassador?
I don’t know if many people ask themselves questions about the concrete nature of the work of an embassy, apart maybe from consular questions. It is certainly true that there is sometimes an old-fashioned romantic view, based on novels and films, about an ambassador’s status. I can assure you that the daily work routine has not much in common with the cliché of a leisurely and mostly social existence, taking place between stately homes and exotic locations. This has, at best always been just the tip of the iceberg, and nowadays, there has been a definite shift in the duties the official envoy is supposed to carry out.
Networking with political, economic and sociocultural players is a main task, next to the traditional role of transmitting messages (a role which has been thoroughly challenged by the digital means of communication). So yes, you definitely need an ability to read out and communicate, coupled with a proactive agenda of priorities that you want to achieve. Nation Branding is also an important concept, meaning that you have to „sell“ the wider interest of your country of origin. But this is a two-directional road: a successful ambassadorial tenure will create synergies between the „home country“ and the country of accreditation that will last when the ambassador is long gone.
What advice would you give to those of us who are considering a career as a diplomat?
A few essential recommendations:
- Don’t be fooled by the decorum: being a diplomat is hard work, mostly spent in working groups or brainstorming sessions with collaborators; the setting-up of a working diplomatic network takes time and personal investment. The social gatherings are just the icing on the cake.
- Think twice: if you like to move on every few years and spend time abroad, diplomacy might be your calling. But remember that in the end, there is a price to pay as regards stable and long-term social relations back home.
- It could be – although this has fortunately never happened in my case – that you are asked to carry out instructions or support positions that run counter to your personal opinions. On the other hand, it can be personally fulfilling to contribute to wider goals in the interest of your nation, European integration or universal issues like the UN agenda of sustainable goals.
If you are still convinced that this might be a job for you, don’t hesitate to take the plunge – a world of unforeseen opportunities is out there!