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The Sound of Economics

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The Sound of Economics
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  • EU foreign direct investment, explained
    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? How should countries decide which deals are important? Would a so-called 28th regime, or pan-EU legal framework, offer a way around bureaucratic backlogs? This conversation explains what is at stake as the Commission, member states and the European Parliament start talks on how to revise the rules. Relevant research: Interinstitutional talks begin on EU’s revised FDI screening mechanism, News article, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, European Commission Rethinking global supply chains: insights for a changing world, Bruegel event, 18 September 2025 This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101061123.
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  • The Sound of Economics Live: The State of the European Union 2025
    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, given the difficulties of asserting European influence in the aftermath of the U.S. recent trade talks? They discuss how Europe can integrate and boost its economy to prepare for a better future. Relevant research: Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Draghi on a shoestring: the European Commission’s Competitiveness Compass, Bruegel Analysis, 3 February 2025   McWilliams, B., S. Tagliapietra and G. Zachmann (2025) ‘Europe’s energy information problem’, Policy Brief 07/2025, Bruegel   Aghion, P., D. Hémous and R. Veugelers (2025/2009) ‘No green growth without innovation’ Policy Brief 24/2025, Bruegel (Original work published in 2009)
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  • The ECB is not the Fed
    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 play a role in how central banks operate today. Relevant research: Lucrezia Reichlin and Jeromin Zettelmeyer, The European Central Bank must adapt to an environment of inflation volatility, Bruegel Analysis, 12 June 2024 The ECB’s Digital Euro and new operational framework: is there an overlap? Bruegel event, 2 June 2025 Véron, N. (2024) ‘Europe’s banking union at ten: unfinished yet transformative’ Book, Bruegel Véron, N. (2025) ‘Breaking the deadlock: a single supervisor to unshackle Europe's capital markets union’, Bruegel blueprint series 35, Bruegel
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  • How can the EU get its act together?
    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 and strengthen its defence capacity. Achieving this, however, means breaking down internal barriers, which will demand ambitious transitional reforms from both member states and the EU itself — and time is of the essence. We will continue our discussion in Bruegel Annual Meetings 2025. Sign up to follow the livestream on 3 September. Relevant research: Jason Furman, Trump’s tariffs leave us in the second worst of all worlds, opinion, Financial Times, 4 Aug 2025 Sapir, A. (2025/2005) ‘Globalisation and the reform of European social models’ Policy Brief 22/2025, Bruegel (Original work published in 2005) Dom, R. and N. Poitiers (2025) ‘The European single market: restarting the perpetual revolution’, Working Paper 15/2025, Bruegel Heussaff, C. and G. Zachmann (2025) ‘Upgrading Europe’s electricity grid is about more than just money’, Policy Brief 04/2025, Bruegel Pisani-Ferry, J, B Weder di Mauro and J Zettelmeyer (eds) (2025), ‘Paris Report 3: Global Action Without Global Governance: Building coalitions for climate transition and nature restoration‘, CEPR Press, Paris & London.
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  • Disaster risk in euro-area bond markets
    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 markets, the sustainability of public debt and the need for a euro-area safe asset. Relevant research: Ajovalasit, S., A. Consiglio, G. Pagliardi and S. Zenios (2024) "Incorporating political risk into analysis of sovereign debt sustainability", Analysis, Bruegel Anaya Longaric, P., K. Cera, G. Georgiadis and C. Kaufmann (2025), “Investment funds and euro disaster risk”, Working Paper No. 3029, European Central Bank
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About 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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