Future is Blue

In this episode of Future is Blue, Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Arancha González Laya, former Spanish Foreign Minister and Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po, following a Funcas event in Madrid. They explore how broader reform packages could help governments reach agreement, why pooling sovereignty can strengthen countries’ ability to protect their interests,...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero speaks with economist Luis Garicano, Executive Director of the newly launched Rhine Group, and Raymond Torres, Director of Funcas Europe, about why Europe is struggling to turn a widely shared diagnosis of its competitiveness problems into meaningful reform. They discuss the political and institutional barriers to action, whether smaller groups...

Europe enters the autumn with an economy that has proved more resilient than expected, but still struggles with weak productivity, investment and technological dynamism. In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Raymond Torres, Funcas Europe Director, about what is supporting growth, why labour markets remain strong despite a sluggish economy, whether Europe’s compe...

Ten years after the Brexit referendum, the UK and the EU are cautiously rebuilding their relationship—but how far can this “reset” really go? In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero speaks with Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe, about how the political and economic context around Brexit has evolved, what has actually been achieved so far in improving ties, and whether t...

Industrial policy is back at the centre of Europe’s economic debate. But can the EU turn subsidies, trade agreements and competitiveness strategies into real industrial strength? In this episode of Future is Blue , host Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Fernando Martín Espejo, head of analytics at Global Trade Alert, and Miguel Ángel González Simón, economist at Funcas, about Europe’s struggle...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen is joined by Eulalia Rubio (Jacques Delors Institute) and Miguel Ángel González (Funcas) to unpack the European Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The conversation explores whether the EU budget is undergoing a structural shift—from a traditional redistribution tool to a more strategic instrument focused...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Erik F. Nielsen, Senior Adviser at Independent Economics and former Global Chief Economist at UniCredit, and Raymond Torres, Funcas Europe Director, about the war in Iran and its implications for Europe. The discussion examines the likely impact on growth, inflation and energy prices, the policy choices facing European gover...

Europe’s innovation strengths are clear, but so are its structural weaknesses. In this episode, Alessandra Colecchia from the OECD and Raymond Torres from Funcas discuss fragmentation, scale, security and what Europe must do to turn research excellence into economic impact.

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Lourdes S. Casanova (Cornell University) and Raymond Torres (Funcas) about how Europe should navigate its increasingly complex relationship with China. The discussion explores whether China’s economic rise reflects strategic policy success or systemic distortions, why Chinese multinationals are reshaping global competition,...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Ignacio García Bercero (Bruegel) and Miguel Ángel González-Simón about why trade has become a key stress test for Europe in 2026. They discuss rising transatlantic tensions, the use of tariffs as economic coercion — drawing on García Bercero’s recent Bruegel article — and the EU’s capacity to respond using existing trade def...

As 2025 draws to a close, Europe faces a harsher global environment shaped by a more assertive second Trump administration, intensifying economic pressure from China, and persistent internal weaknesses. In this episode of Future is Blue , Iain Begg (LSE) and Raymond Torres (Funcas) argue that Europe’s response over the past year has been largely defensive, constrained by fragmented leadership, sta...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Guntram Wolff, Senior Fellow at Bruegel and Professor of Economics at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, about why Europe is facing a decisive turning point on defence and security. The conversation explores how Europe has underestimated Russia’s capabilities, the growing risks created by dependence on U...

In this episode of Future is Blue , economist Luca Fornaro explains how fiscal policy shapes long-term productivity through public investment, taxation and aggregate demand, and outlines the risks of “fiscal stagnation traps” in high-debt countries. Miguel Ángel González-Simón adds the European perspective, discussing the limits of the EU’s fiscal architecture and the challenges facing Spain. The...

IMF’s Romain Duval joins Future is Blue to unpack Europe’s widening productivity gap with the U.S., Spain’s specific challenges, and the three priorities he says can reignite growth: finance, skills, and market integration.

In this episode of Future is Blue , Zach Meyers (CERRE) and Funcas economist Miguel Ángel González-Simón join Carlos Carnicero Urabayen to discuss whether Europe can reconcile digital sovereignty with economic competitiveness. They explore why Europe’s core challenge is a persistent productivity gap, why building an “end-to-end Eurostack” is unrealistic, and how focusing on emerging technologies l...

In this episode, our guest Ana María Santacreu, Senior Economic Policy Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis , explains the twin pressures on Europe from rising protectionism and the “cost of openness.” Trade is fragmenting along geopolitical lines—especially in strategic sectors—while capital flows show less decoupling. Europe now faces China as a direct rival at the technological fron...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Andrea Renda (CEPS) joins host Carlos Carnicero Urabayen to unpack the implications of the EU’s AI Act and Europe’s broader role in shaping global AI governance. Renda highlights the AI Act as a bold but complex regulatory effort, warning that its global influence may be limited unless backed by stronger investment and innovation capacity. He calls for a "digita...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Raymond Torres, Director of Funcas Europe, about the growing influence of the BRICS+ group and what it means for Europe. They explore how these emerging economies are shifting global power dynamics—not only through faster growth but by leading in key sectors, forming new regional trade blocs, and pushing for financial reform...

As global trade fractures and geopolitical tensions mount, the EU’s Single Market is emerging as a vital strategic asset—but much of its potential remains untapped. In this Future is Blue episode, Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Lionel Fontagné (Paris School of Economics) and Miguel Ángel González Simón (Funcas) about the Single Market’s resilience, the gains it has already delivered, and th...

Germany and Spain are both grappling with rising housing costs, supply shortages, and the limits of rent control—but their policy paths diverge in key ways. In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Konstantin A. Kholodilin (DIW) and Miguel Ángel González Simón (Funcas) to explore how each country is responding to growing affordability pressures, what’s holding back...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Ignacio García Bercero, former EU chief trade negotiator, and Miguel Ángel González Simón, economist at Funcas, to unpack the resurgence of transatlantic trade tensions. As the U.S. reintroduces sweeping tariffs, the guests explore what’s behind Washington’s unpredictable trade stance, how the EU should respond—through both...

In this episode of Future is Blue , Carlos Carnicero Urabayen speaks with Alice Faibishenko, Senior Advisor at Funcas, to explore how the eurozone’s periphery—Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, and Italy—has evolved since the sovereign debt crisis. They discuss the different causes of the crisis across these countries, the key reforms that followed, and how structural improvements in labour markets...

In this episode of Future is Blue , host Carlos Carnicero Urabayen is joined by Brad Setser (Council on Foreign Relations) and Miguel Ángel González Simón (Funcas) to unpack the global implications of President Trump’s newly announced 10% universal tariff on all imports — and an additional 20% duty on EU goods. The discussion explores the political motivations behind the move, the flawed logic of...

In this Future is Blue episode, Sander Tordoir from the Centre for European Reform discusses his article Heavy Industry is Europe’s Trump Card . We explore how Europe’s manufacturing strength can drive defence rearmament , the potential of the EU’s REARM initiative , and the challenges of financing and coordination . Sander also highlights the UK’s role post-Brexit and stresses that now is a defin...

The latest Future is Blue podcast explores Germany’s historic fiscal shift following the recent elections. Christian Odendahl ( The Economist ) and Raymond Torres (Funcas Europe) analyze the CDU-SPD coalition’s €500 billion investment package , which marks a break from two decades of fiscal conservatism . They discuss its implications for Germany’s economic recovery, European defense policy, and E...