In this episode of “Policy Communications if a Thing”, Bump’s podcast, we sat down with Alexia Cosmello, at the time Policy Manager for Member State Outreach at DIGITALEUROPE (now part of the Bump team :)), to explore what it really means to start and thrive in the Brussels policy bubble.

At just 25, Alexia shares her journey from being an International Relations student to becoming interested in Public Affairs and getting into policy first at a consultancy and after at a trade association, and how these experiences let her to discover the need for creativity and soft skills in Brussels and her clients’ policy work. In this episode we talked about the skills that really matter for success in policy comms, like networking, cultural agility, and the confidence to speak up, and how younger professionals can carve out space in an environment that often favours seniority and “safe” choices.

We also unpacked the “tab opener vs. tab closer” metaphor for how Brussels works, why associations and consultancies approach creativity differently, and what changes could make the EU bubble more open, innovative, and welcoming to new voices.

Check out the full episode below to hear how Alexia balances strategy with creativity and why Brussels might need more tab openers.

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