In the European Union, social media is more than a communication tool, it is a space where insider recognition, symbolic exchange and political identity unfold. This chapter examines how EU officials, diplomats and journalists within the ‘Brussels Bubble’ use platforms like Twitter and Instagram to balance public messaging with private ritual. Through figures such as Peter, press officer for European Council President Donald Tusk, and Emma, a civil servant managing multiple digital identities, the chapter reveals social media’s role as a ‘gift of recognition’, reinforcing professional ties and signaling belonging in a closed community.

Central themes include the strategic timing and content of summit posts, the contrast between routine recognition tweets (e.g. handshake photos) and high-profile missteps (like Tusk’s ‘piece of cake’ tweet to Theresa May) and the use of social media for ‘face-work’ (Goffman) and gift exchange (Mauss). The ‘Bubble effect’ – where insiders primarily engage with each other – is evident in Brexit-related Twitter data, amplifying shared values while sidelining external voices.

Satirical accounts (@Berlaymonster, DG MEME) and self-deprecating posts humanise EU institutions, yet reinforce insider culture. These digital rituals, though often mundane, are foundational, shaping reputations and the collective identity of European integration.