The Sound of Economics

On 14 September 2022 Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, delivered the State of the Union address before the European Parliament. In this episode of The Sound of Economics Live, Giuseppe Porcaro hosts Maria Demertzis, André Sapir, Jeromin Zettelmeyer and Georg Zachmann to evaluate the State of the Union address, from the support to Ukraine, energy crisis, recovery plans, as well as the EU’s external policies.

 China’s GDP growth plummeted to only 0.4% YoY in Q2 2022, the worse performance after Q1 2020 when the first wave of COVID-19 hit Wuhan. Apart from the economic turbulence, a major political event to look out for is the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, to be held on 16 October 2022. What should we expect from this gathering and what economic impact will it have? Giuseppe Porcaro discusses with Alicia García-Herrero and XU Sitao. 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!

Europe’s energy system faces unprecedented physical and institutional stress. Jeromin Zettelmeyer sits down with Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann to discuss the causes of the problem, and what solutions could be offered. Simone and Georg present their recent paper ‘A grand bargain to steer through the European Union’s energy crisis’, where they argue an integrated European approach and a coordinated plan is essential to address the crisis. 

Jeromin Zettelmeyer starts his mandate as Bruegel Director on 1 September 2022. What made him move to Brussels? What does he have to say about the current climate of European economics and the challenges that lie ahead? He sits down with Maria Demertzis to discuss the energy crisis, macroeconomic situation, as well as his vision of Europe.

Independent work, self-employment and the gig economy have been evolving in the past decade, changing our understanding of traditional employment. However, with the rise in self-employment comes the need to adapt our laws and legislation to accommodate pension schemes and benefits that many self-employed do not have, compared with their traditional counterparts.   In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Giuseppe Porcaro is joined by Diane Mulcahy and Milena Nikolova of Bruegel, to discuss the future of self-employment, what it means for traditional workers, and what it entails for policymakers. This podcast was produced within the project “Future of Work and Inclusive Growth in Europe“, with the financial support of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Relevant Publications: Nikolova, Milena (2022) ‘Can working solo be good for entrepreneurs?’, Bruegel Blog, 13 July Gruber-Risak, M., Hatzopoulos, V. and D.Mulcahy (2022) ‘Policies to support the self-employed in the labour markets of the future’, Policy Contribution 08/2022, Bruegel Christie, R., M. Grzegorczyk and D. Mulcahy (2022) ‘Better pensions for the European Union’s self-employed', Policy Contribution 05/2022, Bruegel

Narratives of the future play an important role in shaping our reality. Depending on the point of view from which they are crafted, they can describe hopes and fears of citizens, the political project of the ruling classes, or can offer alternatives to the status quo. In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Giuseppe Porcaro and Alicia García-Herrero are joined by LYU Guangzhao, who helped navigate some of China’s science fictions works and these visions of the future. Artwork and science fictions mentioned: •    China 2098 artwork by FAN Wennan •    Waste Tide by CHEN Qiufan •    AI 2041 by Kai-Fu Lee and CHEN Qiufan •    My Country Does Not Dream by HAN Song •    Ether by ZHANG Ran •    Silent City by MA Boyong 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!

Artificial intelligence and automation are increasing in role, and no industry is immune. From doctors to gig workers, advances in AI are becoming a key determinant of job quality. This week on The Sound of Economics, Giuseppe Porcaro is joined by Laura Nurski and Mia Hoffmann, to discuss how technology affects work, whether good or bad, and what should we take into consideration for the future? This podcast was produced within the project “Future of Work and Inclusive Growth in Europe“, with the financial support of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Relevant Publications: https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/german-facebook-probe-links-data-protection-and-competition-policy | German Facebook probe links data protection and competition policy https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/uber-and-economic-impact-sharing-economy-platforms | Uber and the economic impact of sharing economy platforms https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/economic-value-personal-data-online-platforms-firms-and-consumers | The economic value of personal data for online platforms, firms and consumers https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/rise-sharing-economy-indonesia | The rise of the sharing economy in Indonesia https://www.bruegel.org/comment/european-union-course-become-big-loser-global-tech-race | Is the European Union on course to become the big loser in the global tech race? https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/practical-arrangement-cooperation-between-digital-economy-regulators | A practical arrangement for cooperation between digital economy regulators https://www.bruegel.org/working-paper/market-power-and-artificial-intelligence-work-online-labour-markets | Market power and artificial intelligence work on online labour markets https://www.bruegel.org/podcast/technology-product-unequal-power | Technology: a product of unequal power? https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/opening-digital-platforms-and-reducing-anticompetitive-risks | Opening up digital platforms and reducing anticompetitive risks https://www.bruegel.org/working-paper/platform-mergers-and-antitrust-0 | Platform mergers and antitrust https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/self-employment-covid-19-and-future-work-knowledge-workers | Self-employment, COVID-19, and the future of work for knowledge workers https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/regulating-big-tech-digital-markets-act | Regulating big tech: the Digital Markets Act https://www.bruegel.org/working-paper/platform-mergers-and-antitrust | Platform mergers and antitrust https://www.bruegel.org/working-paper/digital-platforms-and-antitrust | Digital platforms and antitrust https://www.bruegel.org/report/effect-digitalization-energy-consumption-passenger-transport-analysis-future-scenarios | The effect of digitalization in the energy consumption of passenger transport: An analysis of future scenarios for Europe https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/bridging-divide-new-evidence-about-firms-and-digitalisation | Bridging the divide: new evidence about firms and digitalisation https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/work-protection-digital-age-towards-new-social-contract | Work Protection in the Digital Age: Towards a new social contract https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/era-digitalisation-single-market-needs-software-update | In an era of digitalisation, the Single Market needs a software update https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/breaking-big-companies-and-market-power-concentration | Breaking up big companies and market power concentration https://www.bruegel.org/report/vertical-restraints-and-e-commerce | Vertical restraints and e-commerce https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/how-e-commerce-reshapes-markets-and-firms-strategies | How e-commerce reshapes markets and firms’ strategies https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/big-data-and-first-degree-price-discrimination | Big data and first-degree price discrimination https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/industrial-internet-will-transform-policymaking | The industrial internet will transform policymaking https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/apple-discord | The Apple of Discord https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/new-eu-net-neutrality-guidelines-are-pragmatic-next-step | New EU net neutrality guidelines are a pragmatic next step https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/european-e-commerce-needs-better-visibility-cross-border-delivery-prices | European e-commerce needs better visibility into cross-border delivery prices https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/e-commerce-europe-parcel-delivery-prices-digital-single-market | E-commerce in Europe: parcel delivery prices in a digital single market https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/e-commerce-opportunity-growth-europe-people-and-business | E-commerce: an opportunity for growth in Europe, for people and business https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/better-pensions-european-unions-self-employed | Better pensions for the European Union’s self-employed https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/inclusive-european-union-must-boost-gig-workers-rights | An inclusive European Union must boost gig workers’ rights https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/making-antitrust-work-not-against-gig-workers-and-self-employed | Making antitrust work for, not against, gig workers and the self-employed https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/which-platforms-will-be-caught-digital-markets-act-gatekeeper-dilemma | Which platforms will be caught by the Digital Markets Act? The ‘gatekeeper’ dilemma https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/policies-support-self-employed-labour-markets-future | Policies to support the self-employed in the labour markets of the future

Drawing lessons from the ongoing shortages in chip supply, the United States, China and the European Union are adopting industrial policies to secure semiconductor supply chains as well as economic and technological competitiveness. The EU Chips Act, announced in February 2022, represents a real break in Europe's industrial policy. Are semiconductors the new oil? The answer might be more complicated than just yes or no. Giuseppe Porcaro, Niclas Poitiers and Pauline Weil unpack the economics and geopolitics behind the Chips Act. Relevant publications: Briefings de l'Ifri, Fishing for Chips: Assessing the EU Chips Act Poitiers, N. and P. Weil (2022) ‘Is the EU Chips Act the right approach?’, Bruegel Blog, 2 June Poitiers, N. and P. Weil (2022) ‘Opaque and ill-defined: the problems with Europe’s IPCEI subsidy framework’, Bruegel Blog, 26 January Poitiers, N. and P. Weil (2021) 'A new direction for the European Union’s half-hearted semiconductor strategy', Policy Contribution 17/2021, Bruegel

With the winter on the horizon, it is more important than ever for Europe to be independent in energy. Russian gas cuts, sanctions and embargoes have put the EU in a tough spot, where a trade-off had to be made between energy needs and actions against Russia. In this episode of the Sound of Economics, Bruegel’s interim Director Maria Demertzis is joined by Bruegel's Ben McWilliams, Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann to discuss the future of European energy independence, what needs to be done and its implications for sustainable goals.

Since its announcement in 2013, BRI has only grown in economic and political relevance. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns, the mega project is at a standstill. Is the scope and ambition of BRI permanently shaped? In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Giuseppe Porcaro is joined by Alicia García-Herrero and Xue Gong, to discuss the context, present, and future of BRI in relation to the pandemic and foreign relations. 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!