The Econoclasts
UnHerd
The Econoclasts is a new podcast from UnHerd hosted by economist Yanis Varoufakis and journalist Wolfgang Munchau. While they don't always agree politically, they are united in one conviction: the consensus is rotten. Mainstream economics has consistently failed to predict the events that shape our world, yet this broken orthodoxy still dominates policy and media. Each week, they choose two pillars of the established orthodoxy — the "settled facts" — and shatter them, cutting through the spin to connect the dots between money, geopolitics, and the real forces shaping our future.Don't forget to rate, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
29 snips
Nov 3, 2026 • 49min
America’s midterm illusion & Europe’s spiralling youth revolt
American midterm politics gets a reality check as inequality reshapes voting patterns and centrism sidelines the socialist left. Across Europe, youth unrest exposes a deeper generational revolt fueled by austerity, debt, and declining opportunity. The discussion compares today’s protests with 1968 and explores how stagnation, hopelessness, and collapsing investment are propelling the continent toward systemic crisis and far-right politics.
26 snips
Oct 28, 2026 • 45min
Brazil's class war victory & AI's silent jobs crisis
Brazil’s election challenges the idea that the rise of the Right is unstoppable, while Serbia’s youth movement exposes growing political volatility. The discussion turns to AI’s quieter threat: hiring freezes that could shut young workers out before mass layoffs even begin. It also explores public ownership, robotics, China’s manufacturing edge, and journalism’s changing future.
12 snips
Oct 20, 2026 • 42min
The fall of Macron & Europe’s cowardly Ukraine strategy
Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau examine Macron’s unraveling political project, France’s unrest, austerity, underinvestment, and the missed chance to build a stronger European union. They also scrutinize Europe’s Ukraine policy, its mounting financial burden, dependence on Washington, and the stark choice between escalation and an uncomfortable negotiated peace.
27 snips
Oct 13, 2026 • 40min
Trump’s Russian diesel deal & France’s fatal debt collapse
Trump’s Russian diesel deal exposes fractures in Western energy strategy and the limits of sanctions. The discussion turns to France’s €3.6 trillion debt crisis, capital flight, austerity, and the euro’s unfinished political union. French elections, ECB intervention, and the choice between deeper federation or flexible exchange rates all loom over Europe’s next financial reckoning.
Oct 6, 2026 • 48min
France’s fiscal crisis & Europe's dangerous war fever
Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau examine France’s mounting debt crisis, proposals for restructuring, and the eurozone’s fiscal constraints. They explore how austerity and unfunded political promises could deepen economic instability and fuel extremism. The discussion then turns to Europe’s escalating war rhetoric, hybrid-threat claims, military unpreparedness, strained ties with Russia, and the urgent need for diplomacy.
13 snips
Sep 29, 2026 • 39min
Europe's pre-war madness & the reindustrialisation myth
Europe’s march toward confrontation with Russia, the limits of diplomacy, and the risks of nuclear escalation take center stage. The discussion also challenges military Keynesianism and the promise of reindustrialisation, exploring automation, China’s civilian industrial strategy, Europe’s innovation gap, and whether skilled infrastructure work can replace the factory jobs of the past.
33 snips
Sep 22, 2026 • 43min
Germany’s political meltdown & how the Left betrayed Europe
Germany’s centrist parties face electoral collapse, austerity and economic stagnation as the country’s export model unravels. The discussion traces Europe’s deindustrialisation to financialisation, the euro’s flawed design and centre-left choices. It also explores Europe’s dependence on the US for defence, NATO’s changing role, and the Greens’ turn toward militarised politics.
30 snips
Sep 15, 2026 • 45min
The AI extinction myth & Europe’s tech collapse
Apocalyptic AI warnings come under scrutiny as tools for publicity, regulation, and market control. The discussion turns to weaponized AI, surveillance, and the dangers created by human institutions. China’s advances in open-source models, renewable energy, and robotics challenge American dominance, while Europe’s technological retreat exposes the power of cloud capital and deepening global dependency.
12 snips
Sep 8, 2026 • 45min
Germany's AfD surge & the death of the European project
Germany’s AfD breakthrough sparks a sweeping examination of democratic decay, economic stagnation, and the conditions that enable far-right revival. The discussion revisits Hitler’s rise, explores capitalism’s role in political extremism, and challenges the EU’s foundations. It also considers whether Europe can survive without deeper fiscal, political, and monetary integration.
19 snips
Sep 1, 2026 • 42min
Iceland's EU rejection & the North Atlantic debt trap
Iceland’s narrow rejection of EU talks sparks a debate over Europe’s fading appeal, youth skepticism, fisheries, and the legacy of the banking crisis. Yanis Varoufakis and Wolfgang Munchau clash over America’s debt, interest rates, inflation, and whether Europe’s capital markets union can drive productive investment or deepen a rent-driven economy. AI, austerity, and the future of capitalism also enter the fray.
