How will digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and industrial restructuring reshape work and employment in Europe? And how should EU policies and the next long-term EU budget respond to these changes?

On January 23, 2026, CELSI Managing Director Marta Kahancová took part in an expert discussion titled “The future of the European labour market. The world is changing. The EU budget must adapt”, organised by the Office of the European Parliament in Slovakia and the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA).

The debate, moderated by a Gabriela Kajtárová, also featured Branislav Ondruš, Member of the European Parliament, and Mário Lelovský, First Vice President of the Republican Union of Employers (RÚZ).

Marta Kahancová explained how labour market trends, including the disappearance of certain jobs due to digitalisation and AI, will require adaptation rather than a rise in unemployment. She emphasised the need for reskilling and upskilling, as well as systemic reforms to Slovak education, lifelong learning, and innovation ecosystems.

She highlighted that the previous model based on cheap labour and foreign investment has largely been exhausted, and that Slovakia must strategically upgrade human capital, institutions, and coordination between actors to create quality jobs and a sustainable economic model.

🔗 Video recording of the discussion is available at: https://www.youtube.com/live/KifkL3ELGQI

We thank the Office of the European Parliament in Slovakia and the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA) for organising this discussion and creating a space for a rich exchange on the future of work and a sustainable and inclusive European labour market.

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