Those who belong to the Brussels bubble can often be recognized at first glance in Belgium’s capital – most EU people wear a blue ribbon with a European flag around their necks, from which their ID card dangles. The district around the European institutions is a cosmos with its own language and codes. People wear business casual, speak English, meet at “Karsmakers” or at “Caffelatte” right next to Parliament. Coffee costs twice as much here as elsewhere in the city, but nobody cares. Legal texts are discussed over a cappuccino and croissants, hundreds of times a day.

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