Plux, short form of Place du LuxembourgLuxembourg (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 feeling of being ignored by their colleagues in Brussels. Or the rest of the.../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
TraineeWhile 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 creative motivation letters, they learned to use the ugly ECAS website,... desperately looking for a last hook to find a job
Torn-out H&M t-shirt, capri shorts, loafers
TraineeWhile 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 creative motivation letters, they learned to use the ugly ECAS website,... on his last day in BrusselsBrussels (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 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country..., coming to Plux purely for the beer from the Pakistani shop at the corner
Torn-out H&M t-shirt, capri shorts, white sponge socks and sandals
Central European TraineeWhile 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 creative motivation letters, they learned to use the ugly ECAS website,... on his last day in BrusselsBrussels (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 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country..., coming to Plux purely for the beer from the Pakistani shop at the corner
Shirt with rolled-up sleeves, long cigarette, sad look
InterimaireInterimaire are trainees that 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 with some greedy service provider. On top of that they receive permanent staff emails, in which... or IntramurosIntramuros (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 hierarchies but you can still meet them in Plux. They do not properly belong to... forced to stay in BrusselsBrussels (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 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country... 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 BrexitBrexit, 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 they were voting for, the British government formally announced the... 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 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 bubble!", "We need to break silos", "Reach the citizens" and "engage the voters". The... to keep a sober approach to fun.