Dr. Christian Bluth
Project Manager,
Bertelsmann Stiftung

 

Christian Bluth has been with the Bertelsmann Stiftung since 2016. Within the GED team, he specialises on international trade, especially questions regarding TTIP, regional trade agreements and the WTO. He is also interested in European economic policy and fiscal policy.

 

Christian studied economics, political science and history at SciencesPo Paris and Bocconi University. He holds a master’s degree in “Economics and Public Policy” from SciencesPo Paris and a PhD in Political Economy from the University of Cambridge. Prior to joining the Bertelsmann Stiftung, he worked as an intern with the State Chancellery of Hessen, the OECD, the Reserve Bank of India and the Bundesbank.

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Published Posts byDr. Christian Bluth
Traffic moving across America on interstate I-10 Natalia Bratslavsky – stock.adobe.com

United on Trade but Divided on NAFTA
Survey says citizens in US less keen on USMCA than their partners

President Trump has referred to NAFTA as the worst deal ever – but what do the people in the USA but also in Canada and Mexico think? A new study commissioned by the GED team finds that Canadians and Mexicans are generally in favour of NAFTA but that US Americans are divided. Click the download link to find more interesting insights from our study. More ...

Photo by Frederic Köberl on Unsplash Photo by Frederic Köberl on Unsplash

What Do the Results of the EU Elections Mean for the Future of the EU Trade Policy?
The collapse of the centre will mean re-alignment and building consensus

Last week, the citizens across the European Union voted for a new European Parliament. The European Parliament also has an important voice in trade policy, so in this blog post GED asks the changes in the composition of the EU parliament mean for the EU trade policy. EU Elections 2019: What changed in the new […] More ...

GovernmentZA @ Flickr.com GovernmentZA @ Flickr.com

World Economic Forum 2019
Will it make a difference?

Every year, the high and mighty meet in the Swiss ski resort by invitation of the World Economic Forum for its Annual Meeting. This year, they discuss “Globalisation 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. A worthy topic, but will Davos give global governance more momentum? More ...

multilateral trading system nicknick_ko - stock.adobe.com

World Trade Organization: What Way Forward for Trade Dispute Settlement?
New ideas on how to treat the current crisis of the World trade organizations Appellate Body

The dispute settlement body of the WTO performs an important role in adjudicating trade disputes. In this new GED Focus Paper, international trade law expert Robert McDougall proposes some fresh ideas on how to treat the current crisis of the WTO Appellate Body as a chance to improve and update trade dispute resolution at the WTO. More ...

Photo by Hannes Egler on Unsplash Photo by Hannes Egler on Unsplash

How the German Economy is Connected to Eastern Europe
Part 3 of our mini-series on Global Value Chains

In our mini-series on Global Value Chains (GVCs) we look how three German key industries – motor vehicles, chemicals and machinery - are part of complex international production networks that illustrate the key role of comparative advantage . This week: the relevance of economic ties between Central and Eastern European Countries and Germany. More ...

multilateral trading system nicknick_ko - stock.adobe.com

What Needs to Change at The WTO?
Our Panel of Experts presents our Recommendations at Public Forum 2018

The World Trade Organization (WTO) serves as a place where trade policy issues are addressed, disputes arbitrated, legal frameworks derived and enforced. The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Expert Board on the Future of Trade Governance has released a report that elaborates a series of feasible policy recommendations that will increase the effectiveness and salience of the WTO. More ...

G Azevêdo with Professor Bernard Hoekman (left) and Andreas Esche (right). G Azevêdo with Professor Bernard Hoekman (left) and Andreas Esche (right).

DG Azevêdo Receives Experts’ Report on Future of Global Trade Governance
Four complementary avenues that can be pursued to revitalize the WTO as a forum for trade cooperation and conflict resolution

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo met on 17 July with representatives of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s High-Level Board of Experts to receive their report on the Future of Global Trade Governance. The report outlines four complementary avenues that can be pursued to revitalize the WTO as a forum for trade cooperation and conflict resolution. More ...

multilateral trading system nicknick_ko - stock.adobe.com

Revitalizing Multilateral Governance at the World Trade Organization
Report of the High-Level Board of Experts on the Future of Global Trade Governance

The World Trade Organization (WTO) serves as a place where trade policy issues are addressed, disputes arbitrated, legal frameworks derived and enforced. The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Expert Board on the Future of Trade Governance has released a report that elaborates a series of feasible policy recommendations that will increase the effectiveness and salience of the WTO. More ...

multilateral trading system nicknick_ko - stock.adobe.com

Can Better Institutional Learning Improve Working Practices at the WTO?
How a Systematic Reflection by Members on Transparency Could Promote Institutional Learning

This paper suggests a systematic discussion of transparency by encouraging institutional learning which could help Members to recover a shared sense of collective purpose. It further discusses the meaning of institutional learning, and whether other international organizations have lessons for the WTO on how to do it. More ...

President Donald Trump meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Oval Office, Friday, March 17, 2017. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead @Flickr.com) President Donald Trump meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Oval Office, Friday, March 17, 2017. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead @Flickr.com)

Merkel and Trump Talking Trade
What the People Think

On Friday April 27th, Chancellor Merkel is travelling to Washington DC to meet President Trump. Trade is among the most important issues the two leaders are going to discuss. A recent survey by Bertelsmann Stiftung gauges the temperature amongst the people in the US, Germany and ten other nations. More ...

Shutterstock / Olga Danylenko Shutterstock / Olga Danylenko

A Safety Net to Foster Support for Trade and Globalisation
International Survey of Attitudes towards Trade and Globalisation 2018

Given the rise of protectionist reflexes and a world on the brink of trade war, a survey by the Bertelsmann Stiftung of attitudes towards trade and globalisation gauges the temperature among people in twelve developed and emerging economies. It finds that attitudes are generally positive but that some negative side effects worry the respondents. More ...

Getty Images/iStockphoto/imaginima Getty Images/iStockphoto/imaginima

GED Webinar: Boosting Digital Services Trade – Potentials and Obstacles
A discussion of the latest GED study with Erik van der Marel and Philipp Lamprecht of ECIPE

  Thank you for joining us on Tuesday, 6 March 2018 for a discussion of the latest GED study with Erik van der Marel and Philipp Lamprecht of ECIPE and Christian Bluth of the GED Team. The interactive online session provided a short overview over the key findings of the study and the following issues: Why does digital trade in services matter? […] More ...

WTO headquarters in Geneva by Nicolas Nova @ flickr.com WTO headquarters in Geneva by Nicolas Nova @ flickr.com

Bolstering the Multilateral Trading System – Some Fresh Ideas
A work program for the WTO presented by the high-level board of experts on the future of global trade governance

In order to pursue its mandate and objectives, the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should launch a work programme to foster a better understanding of the factors that have enabled institutional innovation in some policy areas but not in others, and to reflect on the role of established working practices in constraining the ability of the organisation to achieve its mandate. More ...

PublicDomainPictures @ Pixabay.com PublicDomainPictures @ Pixabay.com

Two Years into the Digital Single Market Strategy – Where Do We Stand?
It’s not only about roaming fees, in order to be a success, the Digital Single Market Strategy needs to achieve much more

Europe is lagging behind in the digital economy. The reason for this is not a lack of business ideas in the digital economy, the reason is that the current institutional and technical environment is not as conducive to growth as it should be. The Digital Single Market Strategy addresses some of these issues. But does it do enough? This blogpost reviews what has been achieved and what still needs to be done. More ...

Shutterstock / Ioan Panaite Shutterstock / Ioan Panaite

French Elections Round-Up Part Three: Trade and Globalization
Examining France’s role in international trade and attitudes towards globalisation

In this mini-series, the GED project will present to you not only the most pressing issues at stake in France's, but also the corresponding solutions each of the five main candidates proposes. In this third take, we will take a closer look at France’s role in international trade and at attitudes towards globalization. More ...

Number 10 @ flickr.com Number 10 @ flickr.com

Brexit Has Just Been Triggered – What Happens Next?
The UK is officially leaving the European Union. We take a closer look at how this works and what happens now.

Today, on March 29, Prime Minister Theresa May will formally notify the European Council of the United Kingdom’s decision to withdraw from the European Union. With this notification begins the two year period, which is foreseen by Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty for the withdrawal from the EU. Still there are many questions that remain unclear. We tell you what to expect next. More ...

Leio Ohshima McLaren @ unsplash.com Leio Ohshima McLaren @ unsplash.com

GED Webinar: The EU-Japan Trade Agreement
Learn more about the economic effects and policy implications of the next big trade deal

TTIP is seemingly breathing its last breath and President Donald Trump declared the US’ official withdrawal from TPP. Are mega-regional trade agreements at an end then? Not quite. Nowadays many experts are looking at the trade deal negotiations between the EU and Japan to set a renewed signal against protectionism and for free trade among the global economic community. More ...

www.GlynLowe.com @ flickr.com www.GlynLowe.com @ flickr.com

TFA: The Trillion Dollar Trade Deal That Just Came into Force
...And Which Hardly Anyone Noticed

On February 22, 2017 Chad, Jordan and Rwanda ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Thus the total number of countries having ratified this agreement exceeded the pre-defined threshold of a 110 required for it to enter into force. Interestingly, this was hardly picked up by the media. A suprising turn, given the hefty one trillion dollar cost saving tag estimated for the agreement. More ...

Tom Blackwell @ flickr.com Tom Blackwell @ flickr.com

GED Under the Radar - February Edition
This month under the radar: Danish labor problems, India's poor, an angry Belarusian and French cows!

Today, we are happy to bring you a brand new segment on the ged-project blog. In it, the GED Team will present to you each month those economic stories that we found most interesting in that month but felt received less popular attention than they actually deserved. These stories can come from all over the word. They can be relevant and important for the global economic system as a whole or just affect a select group of few, they can be serious or they can be humorous. In any case they will be interesting. This is "GED Under the Radar"! More ...

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Brexit – What Road Ahead?
Essential Questions Defining the Future EU-UK Relationship

In December 2016, the GED Team held the “Bertelsmann Stiftung European Forum in Association With Financial Times”, debating on our panel the future of Brexit and the EU-UK relationship. The following three animated videos each represent a distinct thematic bloc of our Brexit debate. Watch them, get excited and check back soon for the video of the full debate! More ...