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.

How can the EU get its act together?

The Sound of Economics