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PODCAST

The Sound of Economics

The Sound of Economics brings you insights, debates, and research-based discussions on economic policy in Europe and beyond. The podcast is produced by Bruegel, an independent and non-doctrinal think tank based in Brussels. It seeks to contribute to European and global economic policy-making through open, fact-based, and policy-relevant research, analysis, and debate.

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All Episodes

39:55

Paradoxical EU-China climate relations

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/10/29

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 Alicia García-Herrero and Cecilia Trasi to explore the state of EU–China climate relations. The discussion explores how both economies share a vision for a green transition but follow strikingly different paths—China prioritising industrial policy and green technology exports, the EU focusing on costly emission pricing and regulation. They also identify

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44:33

What are governments buying?

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/10/22

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 recent study on green public procurement, as well as Karolis Granickas of the Open Contracting Partnership non-governmental organisation. They discuss how governments decide what to buy, and what European policy can do to make this process work better. Is there a way for this purchasing to advance the climate transition agenda too? How can governments

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41:58

Climate, data and complacency

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/10/15

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 costs of a changing climate. With all the fuss over how to manage the climate transition, economists may be overlooking the rising expenses of the changes happening now. From the rising cost of insurance to future housing shocks, evolving weather trends and water scarcity mean the world could be facing big hits to productivity and gross domestic product

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47:26

Western Balkan migration: win-win or brain drain?

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/10/08

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie speaks about migration trends in the Western Balkans with Bruegel’s Nina Vujanovic and Nina Ruer, as well as Professor Herbert Brücker from Berlin’s Humboldt University in Germany, Since 2015, workers have been heading to Germany from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo, aided by a regulation specific to that region. How have those workers assimilated? What has been the effect on the countries they

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50:16

What should Europe pay for

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/10/01

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Bruegel’s Rebecca Christie, Zsolt Darvas and Jacob Funk Kirkegaard discuss the European Commission’s budget plan and the battle for the next multiannual financial framework. Will the budget be enough to cover the EU’s needs? What is an “own resource” and how do the member states contribute? Can the EU overhaul the way it supports agriculture, and does it make sense to merge support for farmers with support for lower-income countries? And how will Europe

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27:03

China’s race to electrification

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/09/25

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 self-sufficiency and especially its attempt to become an “electrostate”. Can a country transform its vast energy needs into a strategic advantage; and what does it mean for the world if that country is China? And where does Europe stand in this race?Relevant research Alicia García-Herrero and Haoxin Mu, China can decarbonise the world – but even that

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44:15

EU foreign direct investment, explained

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/09/17

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 European Commission's Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security. They discuss how the EU aims to reduce risks, track projects and coordinate national procedures related to non-EU investments in companies and critical infrastructure. How can the EU protect itself when investors from China, the U.S. and other countries want to make a purchase

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61:13

The Sound of Economics Live: The State of the...

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/09/10

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, delivered on 10 September 2025. Bruegel's Rebecca Christie, Simone Tagliapietra, Reinhilde Veugelers and Jeromin Zettelmeyer discuss whether the EU is ready to meet the moment. How can Europe boost its economic and geopolitical independence? What steps are most needed to improve productivity and green growth. Did Von der Leyen give a good speech,

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45:48

The ECB is not the Fed

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/09/04

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie discusses central bank independence and credibility with Francesco Papadia and Lucrezia Reichlin, Bruegel fellows and former top officials at the European Central Bank. As the Federal Reserve comes under increasing political pressure in the U.S., understanding what central banks do and why they are needed is more important than ever. Traditional monetary policy, digital currency, financial supervision and climate-related initiatives all

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55:04

How can the EU get its act together?

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/08/27

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 challenge. Host Rebecca Christie is joined by Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Bruegel's Director, and Jason Furman, the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy at Harvard University and former top economic adviser under President Barack Obama. They argue that the EU needs to use mobilise all its resources to safeguard growth, advance low-carbon transition

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42:17

Disaster risk in euro area bond markets

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/08/20

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined by ECB Senior Economist Christoph Kaufmann and Bruegel’s Stavros Zenios to unpack how disaster risk, political instability, and investor behaviour collide in euro area bond markets. They explore why investment funds respond differently to fiscal and political shocks, compared to other investor groups, and what are the consequences for both periphery and core countries. The conversation also addresses the disciplining role of

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26:27

Why European firms are rethinking their presence in...

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/07/30

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 paper co-authored by Alicia García-Herrero, Théo Storella, and Jianwei Xu. Host Yuyun Zhan speaks with Alicia and Théo about the findings, which are based on panel survey data from the European Chamber of Commerce in China.The discussion dives into the four typologies of firm strategy, doubling down, hedging, hibernating, and exiting. Why are some

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36:40

Rebuilding Ukraine: international support, defence...

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/07/23

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, along with Tyson Barker (Atlantic Council) and Bruegel’s Elina Ribakova.The guests discuss the challenges of financing reconstruction while the war is ongoing, the role of the defence industrial base, and Ukraine’s growing strategic importance to European defence. They also examine Ukraine’s evolving partnership with the U.S., the future of

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44:10

Where do insurance firms and pension funds invest?

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/07/16

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses how insurance funds invest in the global economy with Patrick Hoedjes, Head of Policy and Supervisory Convergence Department of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), and Bruegel’s Jesper Berg, Marie-Sophie Lappe and David Pinkus. Where is the money going? What role does European policy play? How can we make sure citizens understand their options and have confidence in the system? They also

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41:01

Greening global industry: clean energy, trade and...

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/07/09

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie is joined by Bruegel’s Director Jeromin Zettelmeyer and Affiliate Fellow Ben McWilliams to discuss new research on climate action and international cooperation. They present their chapter in the Paris Report 3, exploring the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries, the design of the Clean Industrial Deal, and relatively high energy costs. They discuss how the EU could work in partnership with developing countries to achieve

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38:40

The EU’s capital markets quest

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/07/02

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses how common financial-services supervision could jumpstart the EU single market with Bruegel’s Nicolas Véron and Enrico Letta, former Italian prime minister and author of the EU’s flagship single-market report. They talk about ways to boost the European Securities and Markets Authority, the current regulator, and move away from national silos by putting ESMA offices in every member state. They also discuss how better capital

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45:29

How do China, the US, and the EU fare in critical...

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/06/25

Critical technologies including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum computing are gaining increasing attention due to their strategic importance and indispensable role in national security. In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan invites Alicia García-Herrero and Claudio Feijóo to look into how the world’s three leading global economies, China, the US and the EU, are advancing in these cutting-edge sectors. Which economies are leading in specific subfields? How quickly

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48:38

Digital euro: why now and what's next

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/06/18

In this episode of the Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie talks about the proposed digital euro with ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone and Bruegel Senior Fellow Pablo Hernández de Cos. Why does the EU need a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)? How much should citizens be able to hold? How will it affect financial stability and the banking system? They discuss the state of play and why the case for the digital euro has become stronger.

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57:02

Fighting poverty, creating jobs: how development...

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/06/11

In this episode of the Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses global development with Bruegel director Jeromin Zettelmeyer and Alfonso García Mora, vice president for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Group’s arm for mobilizing private finance. They discuss what tools are available, what needs can be addressed, and how that fits into today’s geopolitical environment. By helping public and private funders work together, these

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41:00

Defence and climate: is a common agenda possible?

The Sound of Economics ·

2025/06/04

How Europe’s defence sector can align to climate goals without compromising security needsIn this episode of the Sound of Economics, we look at the present and future efforts of the defence sector to integrate climate sustainability. Host Rebecca Christie is joined by Bruegel's Simone Tagliapietra and Kädi Ristkok, Executive Director of Cleantech for Baltics. Together, they explore the challenges and practical steps to decarbonise defence. What are the key policy actions needed at the European

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