Future is Blue

You can access here the Funcas latest SEFO report with key insights on topics such as the ECB policy dilemmas and the state of the Spanish economy and its banks, among other topics.

Iain Begg has recently published Stagflation: the return of an unwelcome monster

In our conversation we cover the drivers of the current economic situation and we analyse why it is so difficult for policymakers to get the right answer when it comes to dealing with stagflation. We also touch on Europe's energy dependence from Russia and how the green transition can help to alleviate the current situation. 

Ukraine is a major exporter of agricultural products, especially sunflower oil and wheat, but, due to the war, key export routes, through the country’s Black Sea ports, are now blocked because of a de-facto Russian naval blockade.

This is driving prices up for grain and cooking oil, making imports less affordable in poorer countries and contributing, together with rising energy prices, to a cost-of-living crisis even in rich economies, thereby further increasing the likelihood of a global recession.

The discussion with Alice Faibishenko is based on the latest SEFO report by Funcas, accessible in this link. The chapter about State guarantees and latent non-performance is available here. 

A couple of months ago the European Commission announced the EU Chips Act, an initiative putting together 11 billions of public funds for the research, design and manufacture of semiconductors. The goal is to mobilise a total of 43 billion euros of public and private investment until 2030. 

To discuss this crucial subject, we are joined in this podcast episode by Elena Pisonero, a top expert with plenty of entrepreneurial and business experience. She is the founder and CEO of Taldig, a business consulting agency. And before that she was president of Hispasat, Spain´s ambassador to the OECD and Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, Tourism and SMEs.

In this new episode we take a look at the following questions:
- Is the economic pain manageable for Russia as long as oil and gas stays out of this economic war?

- What would be the implications for both Russia and European economies if oil and gas are included in the sanctions mix?
- Is recession in Europe a real risk as the war's end is not in sight?

In this episode, we cover these questions: Can Europe afford to implement an energy embargo against Russia?, What are Russia's options to retaliate economically against the West? Will China step in and aid financially its Russian ally? Would it make a difference to include other Russian banks in the SWIFT ban?
Don't miss Zach Meyers new paper: The West needs a sanctions strategy

In this episode we discuss topics such as Europe’s dependency on Russian gas, the economic consequences of sanctions on Russia for European economies and the implications of the ongoing crisis on Europe’s energy transition plans.