The ECB Podcast

How safe are our banks in the euro area?

The world around us is changing – geopolitical tensions , AI and climate change can all pose risks to banks.

So how can banks best manage their risks? What are supervisors focusing on in the coming year? And what measures are they taking to make supervision less complex?

Our host Stefania Secola speaks to Supervisory Board Chair Claudia Buch to find out.

The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.

Recorded on 4 February 2026 and published on 17 February 2026.

In this episode:

00:57 How safe is your bank?
How are euro area banks doing? How does the ECB – together with national supervisors – examine their health?

03:51 What risks should banks be focusing on?
How is the external environment in which banks operate changing? How can risks from geopolitical uncertainty, digitalisation and climate change feed through to banks?

06:02 How is supervision evolving?
In a changing external environment, we need new strategies to properly manage new risks. How is European supervision adapting to become more efficient, effective and risk-focused?

08:57 Why is supervision so complex?
Modern banks are complex, operating across borders and with different business models. How can we reduce undue complexity in supervision?

10:54 Let’s talk about competitiveness
Do regulation and supervision hinder the competitiveness of euro area banks? What does the banking sector need to do to stay competitive, and how can European banking supervision help?

13:02 Our guest’s hot tips

Claudia Buch shares her hot tips.

Streamlining supervision, safeguarding resilience:
https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/framework/approach/html/simplification.en.html

Governing Council proposes simplification of EU banking rules: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.pr251211~aa5c9271b8.en.html

Banking supervision explained
https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/about/banking-supervision-explained/html/index.en.html

Espresso Economics
https://www.youtube.com/@Espresso_Economics

ECB Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy.

Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions. The statement also covers:

• how the economy is performing
• how we expect prices to develop
• the risks to the economic outlook
• the dynamics behind financial and monetary conditions

Published and recorded during our press conference on 5 February 2026.

Our monetary policy statement at a glance, 5 February 2026
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/visual-mps/2026/html/mopo_statement_explained_february.en.html

Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement, 5 February 2026
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/2026/html/ecb.is260205~50858cb986.en.html

Monetary policy decisions, 5 February 2026
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2026/html/ecb.mp260205~001d26959b.en.html

Combined monetary policy decisions and statement, 5 February 2026
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/shared/pdf/ecb.ds260205~0c74e825a7.en.pdf

European Central Bank
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html

How much do you spend on food every month?

Food is one expense we simply can’t go without – we all need to eat, after all! But you may have noticed that your morning eggs, lunchtime sandwich, or favourite late-night snack is costing more than it used to.

How have food prices changed over the past year? What’s driving the price increases? And what’s in store for our grocery bills in 2026?

Our host Stefania Secola speaks to economists Elisabeth Wieland and Zivile Zekaite to answer these questions.

The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.

Recorded on 20 January 2026 and published on 26 January 2026.

In this episode:

02:23 Is food really getting more expensive?

How do we track changes in food prices? How did food inflation develop in 2025? And what role does media coverage play?

05:39 Which foods are especially affected?

Some prices are up, others are down. Why have items like coffee, cocoa and meat been hit the hardest?

08:26 Have some products also become cheaper?

While meat and sweet treats have become more expensive, items like vegetables and butter have become cheaper. The overall food basket tells an interesting story and is influenced by its different components.

09:13 What’s driving price increases for certain products?

Raw material costs, climate change, and supply and demand factors all affect food prices. Rising wages and energy costs also play a role.

12:35 Why do food prices matter so much?

Food is a big part of our budget and cannot be replaced by other items. Also, since we go to the supermarket often, food prices play a big role in shaping our inflation expectations.

19:10 What can we do about rising food prices?

Temporary vs structural changes – how do they differ? And what’s the ECB’s role when it comes to inflation and food prices?

20:52 What’s in store for our grocery bills in 2026?

Good news: food inflation is set to ease in the coming year. So, what does this mean for your wallet?

22:06 Our guests’ hot tips

Elisabeth and Zivile share their hot tips.

Further reading:

Inside the food basket: what is behind recent food inflation? (Economic Bulletin Issue 8, 2025)

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/economic-bulletin/focus/2026/html/ecb.ebbox202508_07~8e10bb606b.en.html

Consumer Expectations Survey https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/consumer_exp_survey/html/index.en.html

Elisabeth’s hot tip: use food price comparison websites and apps for tracking prices

Zivile’s hot tip: look at the price per kilogram to find the best-value food

ECB Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/

The euro family is growing. Bulgaria is gearing up to adopt the euro. But what hopes and fears come with the transition? And were there similar feelings in other countries?

To explore these questions, our podcast team spoke with content creators Mihaela, Elena and Stefan (also known as Chefo) to hear their perspectives on the transition.

Meanwhile, in the podcast studio, our host Stefania Secola explored the topic with ECB researcher Ferdinand Dreher, who shed light on why public sentiment towards the euro tends to improve once people start using it in their everyday lives.

The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.

Recorded on 11 and 16 December. Published on 22 December 2025.

In this episode:

00:53 Looking back at Germany’s adoption of the euro
Ferdinand shares his personal memories of Germany’s transition to the euro.

04:46 What are the biggest concerns around Bulgaria’s euro adoption?
Concerns arise with every major change. We asked three Bulgarian content creators – Mihaela, Elena and Stefan (also known as Chefo) – about their biggest concerns regarding euro adoption.

08:00 What does the research show?
What do surveys reveal about people’s concerns? What are the biggest concerns, and what are the initial inconveniences of the transition?

13:07 What are the biggest hopes around Bulgaria’s euro adoption?
Alongside fears, there are also hopes. Mihaela, Elena and Stefan share their perspectives on the positive aspects of euro adoption.

15:55 How do people’s feelings evolve after adoption?
Surveys show a significant shift in sentiment from the last survey before adoption to the first survey after adoption. What drives this change? Does clear communication play a key role?

20:13 What about Eurosceptics?
Does Euroscepticism persist after adoption?

21:30 What about concerns around national identity?
Do people feel that their national identity is under threat? Euro coins have a European side and a national side – does this help? Can European and national identities coexist?

23:53 Concerns are normal, but benefits will come
What is the message for countries who may adopt the euro in the future?

25:26 Our guest’s hot tip

Ferdinand shares his hot tip with listeners.

Blog post by Ferdinand Dreher and Nils Hernborg “Love at second sight: support for the euro before and after adoption”
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/blog/date/2025/html/ecb.blog20251104~cf577c8f68.en.html

Design of the euro coins – Bulgaria
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/coins/html/bg.en.html

Bulgaria on the doorstep of the euro area
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/changeover/bulgaria/html/index.en.html

ECB Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy.

Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions. The statement also covers:

• how the economy is performing
• how we expect prices to develop
• the risks to the economic outlook
• the dynamics behind financial and monetary conditions

Published and recorded during our press conference on 18 December 2025.

Our monetary policy statement at a glance, 18 December 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/visual-mps/2025/html/mopo_statement_explained_december.en.html

Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement, 18 December 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/2025/html/ecb.is251218~3a10402adb.en.html

Monetary policy decisions, 18 December 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.mp251218~58b0e415a6.en.html

Combined monetary policy decisions and statement, 18 December 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/shared/pdf/ecb.ds251218~f264376788.en.pdf

Macroeconomic projections, 18 December 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/projections/html/index.en.html

European Central Bank
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html