Gordon Brown: Power and Politics in a Fragmented World
A year ago, former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned that the world was becoming more fragmented, more multipolar, and increasingly shaped by power rather than rules. One year on, where does he think we stand?
In this episode of Fixing Your Interest, Gordon, Chair of PIMCO’s Global Advisory Board, rejoins Andrew Balls, PIMCO’s CIO of Global Fixed Income, to explore why politics is increasingly driving economics and what that means for investors. From conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine to U.S.-China competition, AI and Europe’s political future, they discuss the forces reshaping the global order and the implications for policy, growth, and markets.
From This Episode:
Gordon and Andrew discuss how the geopolitical shifts they identified a year ago have intensified, even as the global economy has continued to grow. Gordon explains why he sees a world moving from a unipolar to a multipolar order, with protectionism on the rise and power increasingly taking precedence over established rules.
They examine the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the increasingly complex U.S.-China relationship and the prospect of competing technology and trade systems. They also explore AI as both an economic force and a source of growing political pressure, including the debate over regulation and Europe’s role in the technology race.
The conversation then turns to Europe, where elections, populist movements, defence spending and fiscal pressures could shape the political landscape. Closer to home, Gordon considers the U.K.’s challenge of raising growth and productivity, as well as the potential for closer economic cooperation with Europe.
Key topics include:
Why politics is increasingly driving economics, and the shift from a unipolar to a multipolar world
The outlook for conflict in the Middle East and the implications for energy and markets
U.S.-China relations and the prospect of competing technology and trade systems
The global AI race and whether Europe can carve out a meaningful role
Russia, Ukraine and the possibility of a ceasefire or prolonged frozen conflict
Europe’s changing political landscape, rising defence spending and fiscal pressures
France’s political and fiscal challenges
The U.K.’s growth and productivity challenge and the prospects for closer cooperation with Europe
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