Summer in the Brussels Bubble
About the author: Lindi Schroeder’25 is an FSI The Europe Center Global Policy Intern with the Lisbon Council. Lindi is currently a student at Stanford University.
I am writing this post from Venice, which is a 30-minute bus ride and a 90-minute flight from Brussels. Upon the conclusion of my first week of work, one of my coworkers invited me along with two other colleagues to her home city of Venice — and in essence, this single invitation, or action is indicative of my entire experience here. As was explained to me early on, Brussels has a large expat population. This is particularly applicable to the circle of people who work in European Union affairs. There is a large population of people who know what it is like and are sympathetic to being new in Brussels. The people here take you in and share their lives, friendships and experiences with you. I have not only learned about the culture of this city, but that of many cities in which my colleagues and newly formed friends come from.
I live in St Gilles, a neighborhood in Brussels, known for having the atmosphere of a village instead of a city region. My short walk to the metro station is lined with the art nouveau houses that make up Brussels’ architecture. My two flat mates from Stanford work at the European Parliament, which is a short walk from the Lisbon Council’s office, so I travel with them in the morning. There is a metro route that would bring me closer to my office building, but I prefer the morning walk through the EU institutions.
I have a long-term project that spans my time at the Lisbon Council that concludes with a deliverable due about when I leave. The majority of my workday is taken up by research, and communication involved in this project. I also interact with my colleagues and take part in discussions on tech and energy policies. I have learned a lot from listening to their conversations. In addition to this, my office email box is filled with announcements staff members send out on policy news and conference recaps. The people I am working with are passionate not only about what they are doing, but about sharing it as well. I learn magnitudes by working alongside them.
After work, I explore a different part of Brussels, go to dinner with my coworkers, or make dinner with my flat mates. I have been able to explore parts of Belgium outside of Brussels, as well as neighboring cities in France and the Netherlands on the weekends.
One of my favorite days was when a colleague and I attended the European Commission Energy Week. I was able to attend sessions on EU energy policy and learn from and interact with leading experts in the field. I learned about efficient electricity grids, offshore wind policy, national energy and climate plans, and small and medium sized enterprises in the green transition.
The first three weeks of my internship have flown by, and I am excited for the remainder of my time here.
