The Sound of Economics

President Ursula Von der Leyen has presented her European Green Deal before the European Parliament. How will it work? What are its implications? And will it make Europe carbon neutral by 2050? Nicholas Barrett asks Simone Tagliapietra what's inside the Green Deal.

The UK goes to the polls on Thursday to decide who (and if) they want to "get Brexit done". But, as soon as Britain leaves, it will have 11 months to agree a trade deal with the EU. Is it possible? Nicholas Barrett is joined by Maria Demertzis and Niclas Poitiers to discuss post-Brexit trade deals with the EU and the USA.

Is the Belt and Road initiative a global development plan or is it just a trade project? How concerned should the international community be with what is called the "project of the century"? This week, Guntram Wolff discusses the Belt and Road Initiative with Prof. He Fang, from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dr. Jing Gu, director of the Centre for Rising Powers and Global Development, and Suman Bery, from Bruegel.  This podcast was recorded in Berlin at the Asia Europe Economic Forum (AEEF): https://bruegel.org/events/eu-asia-trade-and-investment-connectivity/

Russia wants to export more gas to China, should the EU be concerned? This week, Nicholas Barrett is joined by Georg Zachmann to discuss the EU-Russia-China energy triangle.

Will EU tech regulations undermine its ability to innovate? From facial recognition to the production of “deep fakes”, artificial intelligence poses many ethical questions. In a world where China and the US are investing massively in AI, how can the EU protect its values while harnessing technology? These are some of the questions we discuss with Brent Mittlestadt, from the University of Oxford, and Andre Loesekrug-Pietri, from the Joint European Disruptive Initiative, in our new Sound of Economics podcast. The podcast is hosted by Guntram Wolff and Nicholas Barrett.

Guntram Wolff is joined by Alan Beattie, the author of the FT's new Trade Secrets newsletter, and by Andre Sapir, Bruegel's very own trade expert to discuss President Trump's tariffs and whether or not they're working

Don't worry if you missed part one because all of Bruegel's pillars for a European Green Deal are created equal. This time, Nicholas Barrett and Guntram Wolff discuss industrial policy and the social consequences of the green deal with Grégory Claeys and Simone Tagliapietra. To read the paper in full, visit Bruegel.org 

The European Green Deal will be a defining feature of Ursula Von der Leyen's incoming Commission. But will carbon border taxes and single carbon prices be enough to make Europe carbon-neutral by 2050? This week, Nicholas Barrett and Guntram Wolff discuss Bruegel's new paper 'How to make the European Green Deal Work' with Grégory Claeys and Simone Tagliapietra.

Digital banking has made our lives easier, but why are people use mobile banking more likely to be overdrawn? This week Maria Demertzis and Nicholas Barrett are joined by Annamaria Lusardi, Denit Trust Endowed Chair of Economics and Accountancy from George Washington University School of Business to discuss financial literacy

With interest rates so low for so long, central bankers are running out of levers to pull. But perhaps better fiscal policy can help economies grow as well as cutting carbon emissions. Politicians, journalists and economist have spent years bickering about the quantity of public spending in Europe, but the quality of public spending could be just as important.  This week's podcast features Maria Demertzis, Boris Cournede, Francesco Papadia and Nicholas Barrett.