On Wednesday inflation in the UK hit 9% - the highest since the early 1980s.A few weeks before in Brussels, Diederik Samsom, the Head of Cabinet in the European Commission, said the age of cheap living in Europe was over and that the cost of living crunch is not a temporary setback - but our new future. Is he right? And if so, what does that future look like?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Bruno Waterfield, Brussels Correspondent, The Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips: BBC, Sky News, ABC News, CNN, AFP, Parliament TV, Bruegel, TED Talk, On Demand News. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.