Hosted by Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
This episode examines the common narrative that Europe is suffering an irreversible economic decline compared to the United States, featuring economist and policy analyst Dominic Loyster. The guest and hosts unpack the data behind reports like Mario Draghi's competitiveness assessment, arguing that standard GDP comparisons often distort reality by ignoring critical differences in purchasing power, quality-adjusted price deflators, and deliberate societal choices regarding leisure time. They also debate how European industrial behemoths are facing severe pressures from Chinese manufacturing overcapacity and shifting global trade dynamics, compounded by internal policy gridlock.
Joe and Tracy open the episode, introduce the show and run a series of commercial spots before launching into the main discussion.
The hosts announce their guest, economist Dominic Loyster, and outline the topics of AI, European productivity, and trade concerns.
Loyster challenges the Draghi report’s use of PPP and real‑growth measures, arguing that methodological differences distort the perceived decline in European competitiveness.
Loyster discusses how China’s rise in the value chain and trade dynamics have affected German and broader European manufacturing employment and competitiveness.
The hosts explore the EU’s slow, consensus‑driven approach to counter China, highlighting the Industrial Accelerator Act and the challenges of intergovernmental decision‑making.
The episode concludes with reflections on the need for policy change, the role of AI, and the broader question of what Europe should prioritize for long‑term prosperity.
The hosts examine how European consumers are handling market buoyancy and the impact on spending habits.
They discuss Europe's social welfare system within the context of neoliberalism and historical shifts.
Hosts Joe and Tracy introduce the episode and set the stage for discussing European economic issues.
Europe and AI Productivityinsight
The guest explains that Europe does not need to build frontier AI models to benefit from technology, as it can successfully adopt near-frontier models for business needs.
Questioning Relative Decline Metricsinsight
The discussion breaks down why comparing GDP levels over time using fixed PPP benchmarks creates a misleading downward trend for European economies.
Tech Deflator Method Differencesdata
The US bureau of economic analysis adjusts tech prices much more aggressively for quality improvements, creating a statistical wedge in real growth figures.
US Healthcare Excess Spendingdata
The guest details how the US spends between 1.7 and 1.9 trillion dollars more on healthcare annually than expected for its income level due to high prices.
German Industrial Employment Declinedata
Data shows that Germany alone has lost over one million manufacturing jobs since 2021 as a result of Chinese industrial policy and high domestic energy costs.
The Neo-Liberalism Taliban in Europeinsight
The guest describes European trade officials as excessively wedded to uncritical neoliberalism, which delayed their response to Chinese mercantilist trade policies.
“I think it's probably true that Europe will not be able to create a frontier model anytime soon.”
“If you adjust for working hours, and if you adjust for the relative price levels, which is what purchasing parity should do, so in other words, what does a French euro, how many French euros do you need to buy a dollar worth of consumption, basically?”
“The US doesn't have any statutory limitations on working hours, and Europe has consistently decided to work less, but has remained employed at the same rates, basically.”
“The policy responses are slow, dysfunctional, and even if they produce something, it regresses to the lowest common denominator.”
“The value of leisure time is greater than nil.”
“But I do think, one thing I will say is, a lot of this depends on your worldview.”
“And it turns out that they like sort of got obliterated by sort of open trade.”
“And the reason they got obliterated is because everyone refused to recognize the competitive pressure because Donald Trump was the first person to really talk about it.”
“And it was too much to stomach that to be on the same side of a sort of perspective as Donald Trump.”
In so many conversations, there's a widespread view that Europe is falling behind. Or it's in trouble. It has been two years since the publication of the Draghi report and the problems the report identified about European competitiveness are far from solved: Demographic challenges, rising energy costs, and a lagging tech sector still cast a shadow over Europe. But according to the economist and policy analyst Dominik Leusder (who also writes the Leusder of Last Resort Substack) the Draghi report might have mismeasured the true scale of Europe's issues, and he asks if the popular narrative of European decline is an accurate one. We also speak about whether Europe needs a frontier AI model, why long, wine-soaked lunches are not a good way to measure productivity, and the state of Europe's vexed relationship with China as a trade partner and competitor. Read more: EU Plans Import Cap on Chinese Hybrid Cars to Protect Sector https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-07/eu-prepares-import-cap-on-chinese-hybrid-cars-to-balance-trade?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=odd_lots&utm_content=article Alibaba’s Joe Tsai Says Open Source Is Europe’s Best Shot at AI https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-07/alibaba-s-joe-tsai-says-open-source-is-europe-s-best-shot-at-ai?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=odd_lots&utm_content=article Only Bloomberg - Business News, Stock Markets, Finance, Breaking & World News http://bloomberg.com/ subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox each week, plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots?in_source=oddlotspodcast Subscribe to the Odd Lots Newsletter http://bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots Join the conversation: discord.gg/oddlots https://discord.gg/oddlots See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9,925 words · 10 speakers
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