Plux

Plux, short form of Place du LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg (abbr. LUX) is one of the funding members of the European Union, with a curious inverse relationship between its size and the cost of housing. Its considerable community of eurocrats is haunted by the constant/Luxemburgplein, is the institutional afterwork meeting place just outside the European Parliament. On a summer Thursday evening, it is customary to meet there with colleagues, enjoying a good Belgian beer and some ugly, deafening disco music.

The hierarchic level of the people taking part in this gathering can be assessed by carefully observing their clothes:

Suit, tie, elegant shoes, stovepipe hat
TraineeTraineeWhile everybody else was thinking of becoming an astronaut or a princess, a trainee, as a child, had only one dream: “Working in the European Institutions”. And they never gave it up! They sent their cv, they filled in desperately looking for a last hook to find a job

Torn-out H&M t-shirt, capri shorts, loafers
Trainee on his last day in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels (abbr. BRU, French: Bruxelles; Dutch: Brussel), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (French: Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest), is a region of Belgium comprising 19, coming to Plux purely for the beer from the Pakistani shop at the corner

Shirt with rolled-up sleeves, long cigarette, sad look
InterimaireInterimaireInterimaires are trainees who failed to become Contract Agents and ended up in the institutions' purgatory: they work hard, pay taxes on their salary (the ultimate Eurocrat's shame), and have a weekly renewable contract or IntramurosIntramurosIntramuros (abbr. IM) are the most normal people you can meet in the corridors, as they have never been institutionalized (both meanings apply). They are usually unaware of anything concerning the European Union or the forced to stay in Brussels the whole summer long because they can’t afford taking any holidays

150€ branded t-shirt, trousers hand-wrinkled by Armani himself, golden Rolex
Head of Unit whose wife is on holidays, trying to blend in with the youth

Leffe Blonde, backpack, shorts, confused look, wondering why people are having fun
Your friend from abroad who doesn’t speak any English or French

Messy hair, skirt and trainers, Aperol Spritz in her hand
DG MEME BrexitBrexitBrexit, a portmanteau of ”British” and ”exit”, is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Following a UK-wide referendum in June 2016, in which 48% voted to remain in the EU and 52% had no idea what Chief Memer trying to find new contacts who can help her get back to the institutions. And getting drunk in the process.

Jacket on polo, slight smile, nostalgic look, wondering why he is even there
DG MEME Director-General looking out for the EU BubbleEU BubbleThe EU Bubble is a term used to indicate a reality distortion generated by the peculiar set of people that inhabit the Brussels' European District. A Bubble resident typically uses sentences like: “We should burst the to keep a sober approach to fun.