The Sound of Economics

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks about the future of work with Bruegel’s Alexandre Mendonça and MIT professor Paul Osterman, author of a new book called Disposable Workers: the Transformation of Employment. In the United States and the European Union, companies are shifting away from long-term permanent jobs to a system with less certainty. Which industries have been most affected and how does that look for their workers? Who benefits from part-time work? Which workers are most disadvantaged? How can public policy adjust around these new dynamics? Artificial intelligence changes what skills workers need and immigration trends shape which workers are available. What conditions will help the economy grow and thrive?

Related research: 

Osterman, P. (2026) ' Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment', Upcoming, Harvard University Press   

Mendonça, A. (2025) 'On Labor Markets, Inequality and Productivity', Dissertation, Stockholm School of Economics

Christie, R., M. Grzegorczyk and D. Mulcahy (2022) 'Better pensions for the European Union’s self-employed', Policy Contribution 05/2022, Bruegel

In this episode of the Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel Director Jeromin Zettelmeyer, researcher Silvia Merler and Bank of France Deputy Governor Agnès Bénassy-Quéré to talk about common European debt and the idea of a 'safe asset'. What makes government bonds a part of public infrastructure as well as a tool for financing public goods? Why is how to borrow money for public goods treated as a separate question from how to spend it? Should the European Union sell more common debt or look at a layered system that works with national borrowers, such as the swap proposal put forward by Olivier Blanchard and Angel Ubide? Will United States Treasury bonds always be the world’s only major reference asset, or will the EU get a seat at that table? This episode discusses what a safe asset is, why it matters to Europe and what steps policymakers should take next.
Related research:

Lappe, M.S and J. Zettelmeyer (2026) ‘A sober look at the case for common European Union debt,’ Working Paper 20/2026, Bruegel

Bénassy-Quéré, A. (2025) 'Looking for a “fair” international monetary system,' VoxEU Column, 16 April, CEPR

Merler, S. (2025) 'More EU debt issuance would be the best response to Trump’s tariffs,' First Glance, Bruegel

Christie, R. (2022) 'If it doesn’t trade, is it really marketable debt?,' Blog Post, Bruegel

Christie, R. (2025) 'Unlocking the Own Resources Debate – Debt and Competitiveness,' Testimony, Bruegel

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan and Alicia García-Herrero are joined by Bertin Martens and Paul Triolo to take stock of the global artificial intelligence race, from energy and chips to models and applications. They discuss China's progress in catching up to the US, what the recent turmoil around Anthropic's most advanced models reveals about the politics of releasing frontier AI and why Europe, dependent on the US for both chips and models, is left exposed on all sides. They explore whether an "Airbus for AI", an initiative for pooling compute, capital and expertise across member states, could close the gap, and what it would take for Brussels' new cloud and AI industrial proposals to matter at scale.
Relevant research:

García-Herrero, A. and B. Martens (2026) 'Stack battles: the US-China artificial-intelligence rivalry is moving beyond chips alone', Analysis 18/2026, Bruegel

García-Herrero, A. and B. Martens (2026) 'Europe needs a strategy to close the artificial intelligence compute gap', Analysis 13/2026, Bruegel

This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics. ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie talks about the future of European Union-United Kingdom relations with Bruegel’s Heather Grabbe and Richard Corbett, a former UK Labour Party MEP and also a former advisor to a president of the European Council. Did Brexit turn out the way its supporters hoped, and what have been the economic costs? Will the UK look to rejoin the single market any time soon? The EU has a slate of prospective new members lined up for closer relations who could take priority, especially Ukraine, whose candidacy has been fast-tracked because of the ongoing war. How does Kyiv’s progress affect British prospects? Would the UK have to join the euro if it wanted to come back fully? Are other kinds of relationships possible? With global uncertainty higher than ever, the UK and the EU still have great incentive to work together.
Relevant research:

García Bercero, I. and H. Grabbe (2025) 'The EU-UK reset: a first, big step in the right direction', First Glance, Bruegel

Grabbe, H. (2026) 'Symbolic membership for Ukraine could bring practical security benefits to the EU', First Glance, Bruegel

Berg, J., R. Christie and H. Geeroms (2026) 'The UK is still not ready for real rapprochement with the European Union', First Glance, Bruegel

Corbett, R. (2026) 'Institutional aspects of Ukrainian accession to the EU', Policy Brief, FEPS

Corbett, R. (2026) 'Is Britain considering a return to the EU?', Comment, Encompass

Corbett, R. (2026) 'Rejoining the EU Quickly is a Realistic Prospect', 26 May, International Policy Digest

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan and Alicia García-Herrero invite Philippe Le Corre to examine the growing tensions at the heart of European Union-China relations. With China reporting a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus last year, European industries face intensifying competition across a far wider range of sectors than before, from chemicals and green tech to pharmaceuticals and, most visibly, the auto industry. They explore whether the EU's new trade instruments are up to the task, why member state fragmentation may be a bigger obstacle than Beijing itself and how the risk of Chinese retaliation constrains every move Brussels makes.

Relevant research:

García Bercero, I., B. McWilliams and S. Tagliapietra (2026) ‘The flaws in the European Union’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act and how to fix them’, Policy Brief 10/2026, Bruegel

This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics. ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!