Wired for the future: building Europe’s next-gen electricity grid
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie talks to Bruegel energy experts Conall Heussaff and Georg Zachmann about the urgent need to upgrade and connect Europe's electricity grids. They discuss their recent paper outlining the challenges, opportunities, and necessary policy responses to modernise Europe's energy infrastructure.
Relevant publications:
Heussaff, C. and G. Zachmann (2025) ‘Upgrading Europe’s electricity grid is about more than just money’, Policy Brief 04/2025, Bruegel
McWilliams, B., S. Tagliapietra and G. Zachmann (2025) ‘Europe’s energy information problem’, Policy Brief 07/2025, Bruegel
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38:16
The Western Balkans: a region in waiting
The Western Balkans are often seen as Europe’s periphery, but they are in fact embedded within the continent’s history and future ambitions. Despite close economic ties with the EU, these six countries—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia—remain outside the Union, navigating a complex path toward accession.
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Rebecca Christie is joined by Simonida Kacarska, Nina Vujanović and Anna Fiore to explore the economic realities, trade dynamics, and political hurdles facing the region. How integrated are these economies already? What barriers remain, and can the new EU growth plan bring about meaningful progress?
This podcast was produced with financial support from The Open Society Foundations Western Balkans.
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39:12
Greece's debt crisis: a decade of resilience
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, we mark a decade since the Greek debt crisis, reflecting past hardships and the progress made and the challenges that lie ahead. Host Rebecca Christie is joined by George Papaconstantinou, former Greek Minister of Finance, and Eleni Varvitsioti, journalist and expert on European affairs. Together, they explore Greece’s recovery journey, from the turbulence of the crisis to its recovery and economic growth. They discuss the cautious optimism in Greece today and the resilience of the Greek people, as well as continuing fiscal and political challenges.
The episode mentions the following books:
‘Game Over: The Inside Story of the Greek Crisis’ by George Papaconstantinou
‘The Last Bluff: How Greece came face-to-face with financial catastrophe & the secret plan for its euro exit’ by Viktoria Dendrinou and Eleni Varvitsioti
Safeguarding the Euro in Times of Crisis: The Inside Story of the ESM, by the European Stability Mechanism, lead author Rebecca Christie
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43:59
Trump’s tariffs and the EU
How should Europe respond to the new US administration’s aggressive rhetoric on trade? Bruegel’s Uri Dadush, Niclas Poitiers and Ignacio Garcia Bercero join a conversation with Rebecca Christie for a special live edition of The Sound of Economics podcast.
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1:00:39
How the war in Ukraine is reshaping EU-China relations
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the EU to reassess its ties with both Moscow and Beijing. As the EU navigates its dependencies on Russian energy, Chinese markets, and US security, how is its long-term strategy evolving? Can Europe maintain a unified stance on China? And what does this mean for global power dynamics?
In this episode of The Sound of Economics, Yuyun Zhan is joined by Alicia García-Herrero, Elina Ribakova, and Ivana Karásková to discuss the shifting landscape of China-EU relations in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
Check out Bruegel's research on China and on defence.
Ivana recently founded The Women Insight on China (WiCH), a new initiative aimed at addressing the underrepresentation of women in the field of China studies across Europe. Alicia is a Co-chair for Spain.
This episode is part of the ZhōngHuá Mundus series of The Sound of Economics. ZhōngHuá Mundus is a newsletter by Bruegel, bringing you monthly analysis of China in the world, as seen from Europe. Sign up now to receive it in your mailbox!
The Sound of Economics brings you insights, debates, and research-based discussions on economic policy in Europe and beyond.
The podcast is produced by Bruegel, an independent and non-doctrinal think tank based in Brussels. It seeks to contribute to European and global economic policy-making through open, fact-based, and policy-relevant research, analysis, and debate.
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