What are governments buying?

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks about financing European innovation with the Jacque Delors Centre’s Marlene Schörner and Louise Tumchewics of the Royal Danish Defence College, specialist in the geoeconomics of defence and electronic warfare. Why do European companies need venture capital and public listings? Does it matter if promising companies go to US markets once they start to scale up? How can private investment finance defence and dual-use technology, and where do governments especially need to work with outside investors to develop new capabilities? What about sustainable finance – are venture capital and equity markets helping a new generation of clean technology, and does defence resilience have a role to play in ESG markets? Related research:

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:

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:

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:

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: