The Sound of Economics
Episodes
Italy and Europe
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie talks about the economy and politics of Italy with Bruegel’s Emmanuel Mourlon-Druol...
First assessment of China's 15th Five-Year Plan
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On 12 March 2026, China approved its 15th Five-Year Plan, setting the country's economic and strategic direction through 2030. In this episode of T...
Inflation, Iran and the Industrial Accelerator Act
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks with Klaas Knot, former governor of the Dutch central bank, and Bruegel Direc...
Europe and the Iran war
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined by Bruegel’s Elina Ribakova, Simone Tagliapietra and Guntram Wolff to ta...
Where can Europe be independent?
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks to former EU Competition Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager -- now c...
China’s financial system: big, powerful and still state-run
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
China’s banking sector has expanded from a fragile, state-dominated system in the 1990s into the largest in the world. But this increased scale has...
Nature as equity
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie talks about nature and markets with Bruegel’s Heather Grabbe and Estelle Cantillon...
Tax, sovereignty and the EU
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel’s Pascal Saint-Amans and Roel Dom to talk taxes. What happe...
All about CBAM, the cross-border carbon levy
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel’s Ignacio García Bercero and Ben McWilliams to talk about ...
China’s Yuan and Europe’s industry: a growing imbalance
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Yuyun Zhan is joined by Bruegel Senior Fellow Alicia García-Herrero and Jürgen Matthes of the Germa...
Europe’s looming budget fight
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie and Bruegel’s Zsolt Darvas discuss the European Union’s next seven-year financia...
AI, data and Europe’s quest to simplify
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How can the EU adapt its rulebook to meet tomorrow's technology environment?
Europe’s 2025 identity crisis: the year in review
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will Europe do what it takes to defend the continent and the single market? In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined...
EU-India: trading partners with potential
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined by Professor Amita Batra, of Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre for South...
Inside the Nexperia crisis: what it means for Europe’s tech sovereignty
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Alicia García-Herrero and Mark Hijink to examine the Nexperia case – the Dutch...
Ukraine talks: peace progress or dead end?
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses Ukraine peace talks with Bruegel’s Guntram Wolff and Nicolas Véron, and ...
How can carbon credits work better?
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New ideas on reaching climate targets as COP30 gets underway In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel’...
Understanding money in the EU
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with Alexandra Jour-Schroeder, deputy director general of the European Comm...
Double tax – why women pay it and what to do about it
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fixing gender inequality could reap big gains for the entire economy In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with ...
Paradoxical EU-China climate relations
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As COP30 approaches, what is the real state of EU–China climate relations? In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Ali...
What are governments buying?
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel’s Marie-Sophie Lappe and Francesco Nicoli, authors of a rece...
Climate, data and complacency
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel’s Heather Grabbe and Guntram Wolff to talk about the real co...
Western Balkan migration: win-win or brain drain?
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie speaks about migration trends in the Western Balkans with Bruegel’s Nina Vujanovic and N...
What should Europe pay for
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Bruegel’s Rebecca Christie, Zsolt Darvas and Jacob Funk Kirkegaard discuss the European Commission’s bu...
China’s race to electrification
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Alicia García-Herrero and Ben McWilliams to explore China’s quest for energy s...
EU foreign direct investment, explained
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie talks with Niclas Poitiers and Damien Levie, head of the FDI screening unit in the Eu...
The Sound of Economics Live: The State of the European Union 2025
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we discuss the State of the Union address that Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, ...
The ECB is not the Fed
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie discusses central bank independence and credibility with Francesco Papadia and Lucrezia Re...
How can the EU get its act together?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we explore where Europe fits into a world of geopolitical uncertainty and whether it can rise to the challe...
Disaster risk in euro-area bond markets
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined by ECB Senior Economist Christoph Kaufmann and Bruegel’s Stavros Zenios t...
Why European firms are rethinking their presence in China
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we explore the shifting strategies of European companies operating in China, as unveiled in a new Bruegel p...
Rebuilding Ukraine: international support, defence and recovery
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined by Simon O’Connor, head of the secretariat for the Ukraine Donor Platform...
Where do insurance firms and pension funds invest?
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses how insurance funds invest in the global economy with Patrick Hoedjes, Head...
Greening global industry: clean energy, trade and development
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined by Bruegel’s Director Jeromin Zettelmeyer and Affiliate Fellow Ben McWill...
The EU’s capital markets quest
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses how common financial-services supervision could jumpstart the EU single mar...
How do China, the US, and the EU fare in critical technologies?
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Critical technologies including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum computing are gaining increasing attention due to their strategic ...
Digital euro: why now and what's next
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie talks about the proposed digital euro with ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone...
Fighting poverty, creating jobs: how development finance helps
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses global development with Bruegel director Jeromin Zettelmeyer and Alfonso Ga...
Defence and climate: is a common agenda possible?
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How Europe’s defence sector can align to climate goals without compromising security needs In this episode of the Sound of Economics, we look at th...
EU-UK trade and the Trump effect
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we look at what came out of the May 19 EU-UK summit. Host Rebecca Christie speaks with Bruegel’s Ignacio ...
China's presence in the Eastern Mediterranean
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Bruegel’s own Alicia García-Herrero and Plamen Tonchev, Head of Asia Unit at t...
Talent grab: can the EU attract US scientists and innovators?
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Sound of Economics, we look at how Europe can attract and keep top-tier scientific researchers, especially given US political t...
Germany’s budget vs the EU: clash coming?
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Sound of Economics, we look at Germany’s budget outlook under new Chancellor Friedric Merz and whether much-needed reforms to...
[UPDATED] Wired for the future: building Europe’s next-gen electricity grid
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
*We released the original podcast on 23 April 2025. As the blackout in Iberian Peninsula happened soon after, we decided to record an update on what h...
Europe’s autonomy amid the US-China trade clash
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Bruegel’s own Alicia García-Herrero and Finbarr Bermingham, EU correspondent o...
EU Tech Rules: What to make of the first DMA fines?
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode of The Sound of Economics, Bruegel’s Bertin Martens and Fiona M. Scott Morton explain the EU’s first fines under the Digital...
The Western Balkans: a region in waiting
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Western Balkans are often seen as Europe’s periphery, but they are in fact embedded within the continent’s history and future ambitions. Despi...
Greece's debt crisis: a decade of resilience
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we mark a decade since the Greek debt crisis, reflecting past hardships and the progress made and the chall...
Trump’s tariffs and the EU
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How should Europe respond to the new US administration’s aggressive rhetoric on trade? Bruegel’s Uri Dadush, Niclas Poitiers and Ignacio Garcia Be...
How the war in Ukraine is reshaping EU-China relations
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the EU to reassess its ties with both Moscow and Beijing. As the EU navigates its dependencies on Russian en...
Ireland’s journey from crisis to confidence
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses Ireland's economy with Eamon Gilmore, former Foreign Minister, and Patrick ...
Where are Europe's animal spirits?
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie is joined by Jeromin Zettelmeyer and Peter Praet to discuss the economic outlook for Europ...
The choices Europe must make to secure its future
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we examine the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape in Europe, driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine, shi...
Is China headed for its own ‘lost decade’?
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since the bursting of China’s real-estate bubble in mid-2021, there has been a growing concern that the country’s economy could end up like that o...
How to fix a staggering Germany
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of Germany’s federal elections on February 23 2025, Rebecca Christie invites Jens Suedekum and Niclas Poitiers to take a look at the country’...
The price of a liveable future: Financing climate action
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined by Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, and Bruegel fe...
Satellites and Space Races: The role of Europe in the space economy
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we delve into the future of space in Europe, examining the challenges and opportunities ahead. Host Rebecca...
China's growing influence in the Western Balkans
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan invites Alicia Garcia Herrero and Ana Krstinovska to delve into China's expanding footprint in t...
20 years of improving economic policy: story of Bruegel, story of Europe
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks with Bruegel’s first Director and co-founder, Jean Pisani-Ferry, Senior fell...
The EU vs. Big Tech: Regulating for innovation and sovereignty
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie sits down with MEP Aura Salla and Bruegel Senior Fellow Fiona Scott Morton to discuss the ...
30 Years of the World Trade Organisation: Challenges, reforms, and the path ahead
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie is joined by James Baxter, Ambassador, Australian Permanent Mission to the WTO, and Ignaci...
Vote, protect, prepare: 2024 in review
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How will the EU springboard from the tumult of 2024 to meet the challenges ahead? In this episode of the Sound of Economics, Bruegel director Jeromin ...
Nature on the balance sheet: a financial perspective
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie invites Heather Grabbe and Thomas Viegas to explore the intersection of biodiversity and e...
Global Gateway vs. Belt and Road: Europe's infrastructure vision
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The EU’s Global Gateway Initiative aims to mobilize €300 billion for global infrastructure by 2027, but how does it compare to China's Belt and Ro...
The evolution of European public goods
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie invites Johanna Breuer, Emmanuel Mourlon-Druol and Federico Fabbrini to delve into the int...
Closing the loop: the case for a circular EU economy
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie invites Heather Grabbe, Luca Léry Moffat and Janez Potočnik to talk about turning Europe...
UN and beyond: China's expanding global role
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan invites Alicia García-Herrero, Théo Storella and Moritz Rudolf to delve into China's evolving ...
From division to unity: 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
9 November 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall - a pivotal moment that led to German reunification. In this special episode...
The US voted - what now?
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special live episode of The Sound of Economics podcast, Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel’s Heather Grabbe, Fiona M. Scott Morton an...
Counting sunshine: Solar energy data and public policy
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel's Ben McWilliams and Rhodium's Senior Analyst Marie Tamba to talk a...
China's latest stimulus package: is it enough to save the economy?
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan invites Alicia García-Herrero and Alfred Schipke to explore the stimulus package China announ...
What can Europe learn from Japanification?
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While the term Japanification is usually taken negatively, Japan actually managed a very challenging economic situation with an ageing population and ...
Do the European Institutions really need language diversity?
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Conor Brummell explores the topic of multilingualism within the European Union. He is joined by language ex...
Europe’s green global reach
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie invites Bruegel’s own Simone Tagliapietra and Cecilia Trasi, as well as Jacob Werksman, ...
How should the new European Commission engage with China?
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Alicia García-Herrero and Abigaël Vasselier to assess the new reality of EU-Chi...
Population ageing is straining public debt
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie sits down with Bruegel Senior fellow Zsolt Darvas and Jennifer D. Sciubba, President and C...
Conversation with Eurogroup president Paschal Donohoe: Strengthening EU public finances, defence and security
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie sits down with Eurogroup president Paschal Donohoe and Bruegel Senior fellow Guntram Wolff...
Unite, defend, grow: EU policy for the next five years
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Memos to the European Union leadership have been a Bruegel tradition since 2009. Every five years – after the European elections but before a n...
Through crises and their solutions – A farewell to Maria Demertzis
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Maria Demertzis sits down in the studio of The Sound of Economics for one last time in her capacity as Senior fellow and Bruegel’s former Deputy di...
Making buildings greener: EU decarbonisation plans
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By 2030, the European Union must reduce emissions from the heating and cooling of buildings – responsible for 13 percent of EU emissions – by the ...
Narratives and reality: China’s economic engagements in Africa
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Alicia García-Herrero and Eric Olander to explore China’s economic engagements...
How hydrogen can reach its green potential
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie is joined by Bruegel fellow Ben McWilliams and Johanna Schiele, a Policy Officer at the In...
Tariffs are not the cure to world trade problems
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie discusses the current global trade landscape with Penny Naas, of the German Marshall Fund ...
Macron's snap election gamble
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca Christie sits down with Jean Pisani-Ferry and André Sapir to discuss the upcoming parliamentary elections in France, amidst growing voter di...
Electrified tensions: EU's proposed tariffs on Chinese EVs
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In October 2023, the European Union launched an investigation into whether Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers were receiving unfair subsidies...
EU-UK relations: Brexit, Scotland, Ireland
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie sits down with Tony Connelly, Europe editor of Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ, and ...
How the financial sector can speed up the green transition
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Bruegel’s non-resident fellow Dirk Schoenmaker presents his latest book ‘Corporate Finance for Long-Ter...
Europe's economic future
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bruegel and the Financial Times partnered up to host a debate featuring lead candidates from major EU political parties on EU economic issues, namely ...
Should foreign companies still do business in China?
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan talks to Bruegel Senior fellow Alicia García-Herrero and President of the European Union Chambe...
Managing the What Ifs: Europe, China and world trade
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a world of increasing uncertainties, the European Union’s need to protect itself from new shocks is on the rise. Pandemic-related supply disrupti...
NATO and the EU - who does what for European defence?
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The relationship between the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is at the heart of efforts to help Ukraine after Russia's 2022 ...
Do EU tech rules add up?
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does the EU manage its increasingly vast number of digital laws? Bertin Martens, Kai Zenner and Rebecca Christie discuss how these rules are made,...
Zooming in on the US-China tech rivalry
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Alicia García-Herrero and Paul Triolo to discuss China’s innovation drive and ...
What visions for Europe? Unpacking EU parties’ economic strategies
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bruegel and the Financial Times partnered up to host a debate featuring representatives from EU political parties on EU economic issues, specifically ...
Climate change, the next big financial threat
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is a rising threat to European financial stability, says European Stability Mechanism chief economist Rolf Strauch on this episode of T...
1982: the debt crisis that could have destroyed Western banking
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Science Po professor Jérôme Sgard discusses his new book on the debt crisis of the 1980s on this episode of The Sound of Economics, with host Rebecc...
One grid to rule them all? The future of a European single electricity market
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the sound of economics, Rebecca Christie invites Georg Zachmann and Christian Zinglersen to talk about the ambitious idea of creati...
Capital markets union - why now?
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
European Union leaders want to breathe new life into the Capital markets union, the decade-old project to reduce fragmentation and put finance to work...
Key take-aways from China’s Two Sessions
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan sits down with Alicia García-Herrero and Zichen Wang to talk about China’s Two Sessions, the ...
How war in Ukraine brought Europe together
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has held together rather than let the conflict divide it. Rebecca Christ...