The Sound of Economics How can the EU get its act together?
Aug 27, 2025
Join Jeromin Zettelmeyer, Director at Bruegel, and Jason Furman, former economic adviser to Barack Obama, as they dive into Europe's pivotal role amidst global uncertainty. They discuss the urgent need for the EU to unify resources for economic growth and defense, while overcoming internal barriers. The conversation touches on the implications of U.S. tariffs, the importance of European unity in trade negotiations, and the challenges of climate change, emphasizing the critical reforms needed for a cohesive and resilient Europe.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Internal Barriers Hurt Scale And Innovation
- Internal EU barriers—especially in digital, capital and venture markets—limit Europe's ability to scale innovation.
- Closing internal single-market gaps matters more than focusing only on external trade barriers.
Use National Reforms To Seed EU-wide Change
- Prioritize transformational national reforms like deeper capital markets and pension reform to mobilize domestic savings.
- A few large countries implementing these changes could produce game-changing effects across Europe.
Tech Rent Versus Real Productivity
- Tech winners skew US stock-market performance versus the real economy, and productivity gains may diffuse beyond originators.
- Europe can benefit by adopting innovations even without hosting foundational models.