The Sound of Economics

In this episode of the Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses the economic sway of Brazil, Russia, India and China with Jim O’Neill, who coined the BRIC acronym in 2001, and Bruegel researchers Suman Bery and Alicia García-Herrero. Do these countries still have much in common? How dominant is China? Is it possible for the now BRICS to represent 'the Global South' and which countries should participate? What about geopolitical factors like the Iran conflict and Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine? Is the world ready to move away from the dollar, and what should be the global role of the renminbi? How is India managing its relationship with the United States and market access with trading partners? Global economic governance is stretched farther than ever, and the world’s significant economies have to figure out some way to relate.
Relevant research:

García-Herrero, A. (2026) 'The real BRICS summit happened in a side room with Modi and Xi', Opinion, Brussels Times

Bery, S (2026), ‘Reconciling domestic goals with global adjustment: Challenges for Indian economic management‘, in Rey, H, B Weder di Mauro and J Zettelmeyer (eds), Paris Report 4: The New Global Imbalances, CEPR Press, Paris & London

BRICS+ Thinking

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan and Alicia García-Herrero are joined by Kristy Loke to examine how China governs artificial intelligence and what that means for the global AI race.
Relevant research:

García-Herrero, A. and T. Storella (2026) 'China’s artificial intelligence goals and strategic choices for Europe', Analysis 24/2026, Bruegel

García-Herrero, A. (2026) 'Tough choices ahead as the US pushes a global artificial-intelligence divide', First Glance, Bruegel

García-Herrero, A. (2026) 'China Treats AI as Comprehensive Strategy and That Makes a Big Difference', Op-ed, CommonWealth Magazine

Loke, K. (2026) 'China’s AI Safety Catch-Up Is Hiding in Plain Sight', Opinion, The Wire China

Loke, K. and S. Casper (2026) 'The AI Issue America and China Can Cooperate On Now', Opinion, The Wire China

Héigeartaigh, S. and K. Loke (2026) 'China isn’t racing to artificial general intelligence — but U.S. companies are', Opinion, The Wire China

Cunningham, R. and K. Loke (2026) 'Why America’s AI Dream Is Failing to Launch', article, The Information

Siddiqui, S., K. Loke, S. Clare, M. Lu, A. Richardson, L. Ibrahim, C. McGlynn and J. Ding (2025) 'Promising Topics for US–China Dialogues on AI Safety and Governance', Research paper, Oxford

This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics. ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie discusses financial stability with Bruegel Director Jeromin Zettelmeyer and Olaf Sleijpen, President of De Nederlandsche Bank and a member of the European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council. What are the risks? How much should we worry about long-term interest rates and soaring budget deficits? Are the biggest threats coming from inside or outside the euro area? What are the ECB’s crisis-fighting tools, and how soon can they be ready? How much of a financial-stability risk is France's ballooning debt? This podcast touches on the European Commission’s banking reform effort, the risks from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, and the need for resilience and economic growth.
Related research: 

‘Priorities and trade-offs for the next round of EU banking reform’, Event, 13 October 2026, Bruegel

Frieda, G. (2026) 'What is driving the global rise in long-term interest rates?', Analysis 23/2026, Bruegel

Sleijpen, O. (2026) ‘Geopolitics, Trade Uncertainty and Inflation: Chimera or Reality?’, Speech, 17 June, De Nederlandsche Bank

Sleijpen, O. (2026) ‘Racing the clock: Europe’s Journey to a Savings and Investment Union’, Speech, 16 June, De Nederlandsche Bank

Weder di Mauro, B. and J. Zettelmeyer (2026) 'The new global imbalances: why care, why now and what should be done?', Essay 01/2026, Bruegel

In this special live episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks with Bruegel Director Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Deputy Director Simone Tagliapietra and Non-resident Fellow Elina Ribakova about the 2026 State of the Union speech, delivered 16 September in Strasbourg by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Energy, China, defence, the single market – what were her priorities and can she convince the European Union to take action? What about her proposal to look into “associate” EU membership for Canada? Did Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 17 September speech move things forward?  What does the EU need to do and where will the necessary investment come from? How will big member states like France and Germany shape the debate? As the war in Ukraine continues, how will the EU manage its economic and security commitments? International alliances and political resilience will be more critical than ever in navigating these challenges.
Related research:

Christie, R., García Bercero, I., Kirkegaard, J.K., Luck, P. (2026) 'What the US-Canada trade war means for Europe', Podcast, Bruegel

García-Herrero, A., Ribakova, E., Risinger, L. (2026) 'The China‑Russia asymmetric partnership: Implications for Europe', Policy Article, Kiel Institute for the World Economy 

Ribakova, E., Risinger, L. (2026) 'Europe’s Untapped Arsenal', Opinion piece, Foreign Affairs

Steinbach, A., Wolff, G.B. & Zettelmeyer, J. (2025) 'The Governance and Funding of European Rearmament', Intereconomics, 60(4), ZBW – Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft

Tagliapietra, S., Wolff, G. B. (2026) 'Europe’s climate-resilience moment has arrived', First glance, Bruegel

Tagliapietra, S. (2025) 'Europe’s fight should start by doing away with hesitation', First glance, Bruegel

Zettelmeyer, J. (2026) 'Europe’s challenges: what is new?', Newsletter feature, 31 August, Bruegel

Live version of the podcast: 
The Sound of Economics Live: The State of the European Union 2026

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie sits down with Philip Luck, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies economics programme, and Bruegel’s Ignacio García Bercero and Jacob Funk Kirkegaard to discuss the trade war between the United States and Canada. As the US announces import bans on various Canadian products, this podcast explores how Washington and Ottawa got to this point. What will happen next, and what will be the spillovers for Europe? The European Union has a strong free trade agreement with Canada and is discussing further integration in areas like digital policy. Will Mark Carney’s scheduled September visit to Strasbourg move the dial? What will be the impact on Canada’s internal economy, not to mention the EU single market? Will the EU and Canada move closer to establishing a coalition in support of rules-based trade? And how will the upcoming US November mid-term elections affect – or not – what happens next in the trade wars?
Relevant research:

Luck, P. (2026) ‘Elbows Up: Economic Coercion and U.S. Border Labor Markets in the 2025 Trade War’, SRRN

Luck, P. (2026) ‘Elbows Up: The Price of Economic Coercion Against Canada’, Analysis, Center for Strategic and International Studies

García Bercero, I. (2026) ‘An EU strategy in the wake of the United States Supreme Court tariffs ruling’, First Glance, Bruegel

García Bercero, I. (2026) ‘Defining the new strategic direction for European Union trade policy’, First Glance, Bruegel

Kirkegaard, J. (2026) ‘Europe Is Stuck With America’, Opinion piece, Foreign Affairs

Christie, R. (2026) ‘Stuck in the Middle Again’, Opinion piece, Internationale Politik Quarterly