There is nothing like an old, good family dinner. When kids grow up and the family gets bigger and bigger, only a few occasions gather the whole company: a funeral, a wedding, a birthday (but only of the oldest members), a dog’s birthday…

But let’s be honest, there is a pattern to all these dinners and nobody truly wants to be there, even the host.

There’s always the person who picks up and finishes the best candy…

… and the two uncles who discuss what in reality is their social and technical retardedness, but mostly they just complain…

… and of course, do not forget about the grandpa who always drinks more coffee and alcohol that his health allows, so everyone is worried about him (and it pisses him off)…

… last but not least, the most obvious element of family dinners: the gossips. A new affair? A new boyfriend or girlfriend? A new job? Or maybe a new haircut? The aunts and uncles will not let it go easily, you can be sure that every possible reason to the change will be scrupulously analysed, exaggerated and repeated.

But what has really happened here?

The pictures do not show a family dinner, but one of the weekly meetings of the European Commission – this one has taken place on the 29th of May. The “family members” are in fact the members of the Commission, discussing salient issues of the week and the priorities for each of them for the week to come.

Photographs: European Commission