Future is Blue

A couple of months ago the European Commission announced the EU Chips Act, an initiative putting together 11 billions of public funds for the research, design and manufacture of semiconductors. The goal is to mobilise a total of 43 billion euros of public and private investment until 2030.  To discuss this crucial subject, we are joined in this podcast episode by Elena Pisonero, a top expert with plenty of entrepreneurial and business experience. She is the founder and CEO of Taldig, a business consulting agency. And before that she was president of Hispasat, Spain´s ambassador to the OECD and Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, Tourism and SMEs.

In this new episode we take a look at the following questions:- Is the economic pain manageable for Russia as long as oil and gas stays out of this economic war?- What would be the implications for both Russia and European economies if oil and gas are included in the sanctions mix?- Is recession in Europe a real risk as the war's end is not in sight?

In this episode, we cover these questions: Can Europe afford to implement an energy embargo against Russia?, What are Russia's options to retaliate economically against the West? Will China step in and aid financially its Russian ally? Would it make a difference to include other Russian banks in the SWIFT ban?Don't miss Zach Meyers new paper: The West needs a sanctions strategy

In this episode we discuss topics such as Europe’s dependency on Russian gas, the economic consequences of sanctions on Russia for European economies and the implications of the ongoing crisis on Europe’s energy transition plans.

Is the recovery strong enough? Are the EU Next Generation programs robust enough to keep the recovery momentum? How concerning is inflation? To get some answers we are joined by Jean Pisani-Ferry, Tommaso Padoa Shioppa chair of the European University Institute and Senior Fellow at Bruegel think tank, and Raymond Torres, Funcas Europe Director. 

After an expansion of 5.5% in 2021, driven mostly by consumer spending a spike in investment and trade in goods above pre pandemic levels, global output is projected to grow by only 4% in 2022 and 3.5% in 2023.There are a number of concerning factors for policymakers, such as the spread of new variants, persistent labour market and supply chain challenges, rising inflation…. Now, can any of this trigger a major crisis?

How can we reconcile the need of increasing green public investment in the EU while consolidating public deficits after the pandemic? Don't miss our discussion featuring Guntram B. Wolff, Director of Bruegel think tank, Raymond Torres, Funcas Europe Director, and Carlos Carnicero Urabayen, Future is blue host.

We continue our debate about the need for the EU to equip itself with new fiscal rules. A new pact is needed to preserve recovery, gradually consolidate public deficits and protect public investment, particularly green investment. Paul De Grauwe, John Paulson Chair in European Political Economy at the London School of Economics joins this conversation with Raymond Torres, Funcas Europe Director, and Carlos Carnicero Urabayen, Future is blue editorial coordinator.

The current rules were born in the 90s and, in a nutshell, they mandate Member States to keep public debt below 60% and public deficits below 3% of GDP. Fiscal rules were suspended last year so that Member States had fiscal margin to fight an unprecedented crisis. Now everyone seems to agree that we need a new framework. In this episode we cover why the EU needs different fiscal rules and why a green golden rule may be a good idea. We also discuss the potential obstacles for reform.

Don't miss this episode if you want to know what are the key takeaways of the UN COP26 Glasgow summit.We also take a look at how economic recovery can be affected by green transition plans. Is Europe doing enough to fight climate change? Can the green agenda be challenged by a cold and expensive winter? These are some of the questions driving the conversation between María Mendiluce and Raymond Torres.