How does geopolitical uncertainty affect inflation? How do we keep monetary policy fit for purpose in a rapidly changing world? And what are the main topics at this year’s ECB Forum in Sintra, Portugal?

In the first episode of our special Sintra series for The ECB Podcast, our host Paul Gordon discusses all these questions and more with Chief Economist and Executive Board member, Philip R. Lane.

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

Published on 25 June 2025 and recorded on 16 June 2025.

In this episode:
01:28 The ECB Governing Council lowered key interest rates to 2%.
What was the motivation behind the decision? 

04:30 How do we ensure that risks and uncertainties are integrated into the monetary policy decision-making process?
What is our baseline? What factors need to be taken into account?

06:44 Alternative scenarios in the latest projections
Why do we communicate our “what if” scenarios?

08:11 Meeting-by-meeting, data-dependent approach 
Why do we follow this approach? 

09:50 Strategy review 
How can we make sure our strategy is up to date? 

12:02 High-level uncertainty
How do we factor heightened uncertainty in our strategy?

13:50 ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal
What is the ECB Forum and what’s behind it? What’s the goal of the Forum? What’s Philip R. Lane looking forward to? 

16:53 Our guest’s hot tip
Philip R. Lane shares his hot tip.


Programme of ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal 
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/conferences/html/20250630_ecb_forum_on_central_banking.en.html 
Ken Rogoff "Our dollar, your problem"
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300275315/our-dollar-your-problem/ 
ECB Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/europeancentralbank/ 
European Central Bank
www.ecb.europa.eu 
ECB Banking Supervision
https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html

Adapting to change: Ensuring price stability in a new geopolitical era

Why are hepatitis A cases rising sharply in parts of Europe - and what can public health professionals do about it?


In this episode of ECDC on Air, Linda Trönnberg - Principal Expert in Food-, Waterborne and Zoonotic Diseases, and Theresa Enkirch - Expert in Microbiology and Molecular Epidemiology break down the latest hepatitis A outbreak affecting Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia, highlighting who is being most affected, how the virus is spreading, and what actions can help contain it.


From person-to-person transmission in areas with limited sanitation to the role of genomic sequencing and the importance of tailored outreach, this episode explores the science and strategy behind the response and what cross-border coordination can achieve.


This is the first episode in the series where we focus on the recently published Rapid RIsk Assesments on infectious diseases.


The RRA on Hepatitis A cases from 18 June 2025 can be found ⁠here⁠: https://bit.ly/44nxRJt


For more on Hepatitis, check the dedicated pages on the ⁠ECDC portal⁠: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/viral-hepatitis 


More information on epidemiology in Europe in general can be found on our portal: ⁠https://ecdc.europa.eu⁠ and ⁠social media channels⁠: bit.ly/ECDCSocialMedia

ECDC: on Air - Episode 63 - Risk Wire - Hepatitis A Spike in Europe: What’s Behind the Surge?

President Christine Lagarde sat down with central bank heads from the United States, hte United Kindgdom, South Korea, and Japan at this year's ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal. They discuss the steps they've taken to fight inflation and explioe the challenges and opportunities ahead. 

Recorded on 1 July 2025 and published on 2 July 2025

Further reading:
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/conferences/html/20250630_ecb_forum_on_central_banking.en.html

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

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



Price Stability in Times of Change

Tariffs and geopolitical conflicts have created uncertainty around the world. But how does the new trade environment affect inflation and the economy? How can central banks adapt? And what is the potential impact on the dominance of the US dollar ? 

In the third episode of our special Sintra series of the ECB Podcast, our host Paul Gordon talks to London School of Economics Professor Silvana Tenreyro.

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

Published on 4 July 2025 and recorded on 1 July 2025.

In this episode:
01:30 How is the world economy doing?
What developments are having an impact on our economy today? And what uncertainties are arising from tariffs, trade fragmentation and armed conflicts in different parts of the world?

03:30 Tariffs, trade fragmentation and the economy
How can trade tariffs and fragmentation affect economic growth and inflation in the euro area and beyond?

06:25 How are prices changing?
How are prices changing in different countries? Will tariffs cause prices in the United States to rise, and those in Asia and Europe to fall? And why?

07:55 Lessons for central banks
Given the extremely high level of uncertainty, what lessons from past shocks can central banks apply in the future? Why do we need clearly defined frameworks? And what role do governments play?

09:55 How can governments prepare for potential shocks?
Investing in technologies that are difficult to substitute, diversifying energy sources and creating buffers for critical inputs – why it’s crucial that governments have a strategy to withstand various shocks.

12:05 What is a dominant currency?
When is a currency considered internationally “dominant”? And what dominant currencies have there been in the past?

13:40 Dollar dominance and monetary policy transmission
Does dollar dominance in international trade transactions reduce the effectiveness of monetary policy?

17:30 The future of dollar dominance
How will the dominance of the US dollar develop in the future? Is its role as a primary reserve currency at risk due to the Trump Administration’s policies?

19:10 What keeps you up at night?
What happens to our economy if there is a sudden shortage of a certain input? What impact will AI have if it remains largely unregulated? And what do stablecoins and digital currencies mean for our economy?

21:00 Our guest’s hot tip

Silvana shares her hot tip with our listeners. 

Further readings:

Michael McLeay and Silvana Tenreyro: Dollar dominance and the transmission of monetary policy
https://personal.lse.ac.uk/tenreyro/dominant_currency.pdf

Sintra Series episode 1/4: Price stability in times of change
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod250702_episode110.en.html

Sintra Series episode 2/4: Adapting to change: Ensuring price stability in a new geopolitical era
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/tvservices/podcast/html/ecb.pod250625_episode109.en.html

Silvana’s hot tip
I’m still here/Ainda estou aqui

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

Lifeline

Challenges and opportunities: what lies ahead for the world economy?

In this special episode of ECDC On Air, Bruno Ciancio - Head of Unit - Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-preventable Disease at ECDC, discusses the recent Rapid Risk Assessment on diphtheria, its symptoms, transmission, and the importance of vaccination. He highlights the current trends in diphtheria cases, particularly among vulnerable populations, and emphasizes the need for timely public health measures and effective treatment strategies.

The conversation also compares diphtheria with measles, underscoring the critical role of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases.

Read more about the situation in our press release here: https://bit.ly/3Gym2s7 and find the full text of the Rapid Risk Assessment on diphtheria here: https://bit.ly/4nNvTLj

More information on epidemiology in Europe in general can be found on our portal: https://⁠ecdc.europa.eu⁠ and ⁠social media channels⁠: bit.ly/ECDCSocialMedia

ECDC: on Air - Episode 64 - Risk Wire - Diphtheria in Europe: Why is ECDC Raising the Flag?

Our monetary policy statement at a glance, 24 July 2025 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/visual-mps/2025/html/mopo_statement_explained_july.en.html

Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement, 24 July 2025 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/2025/html/ecb.is250724~a66e730494.en.html

Monetary policy decisions, 24 July 2025 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.mp250724~50bc70e13f.en.html 

Combined monetary policy decisions and statement, 24 July 2025 https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/shared/pdf/ecb.ds250724~8cbca58e07.en.pdf?df0653cc32352ba804c7d1262686b588 

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

Published and recorded during our press conference on 24 July 2025 

#MonetaryPolicy #EuropeanCentralBank #ChristineLagarde #Finance #FinancialConditions #Inflation #EconomicActivity #EconomicOutlook #PressConference #Banking #CentralBanking #Podcast #Economics #EU #Europe #ECB

President Lagarde presents the latest monetary policy decisions – 24 July 2025

Seit dem 1. Juli dieses Jahres hat Dänemark den rotierenden Vorsitz im Rat der Europäischen Union inne. In 58. Folge von 'Nahrung für Europa' besprechen wir Dänemarks ehrgeizigen Plan für den Vorsitz, darunter den Abschluss der Verhandlungen über das Vereinfachungspaket für die Landwirtschaft, Anstrengungen zur Erleichterung des Lebens für Landwirte sowie die Förderung von Innovation, Nachhaltigkeit und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit im Sektor.
Das große Thema der nächsten Jahre in der dänischen Landwirtschaft wird jedoch die Umsetzung des Grünen Dreierpakts sein – Dänemarks ambitionierter Plan zur Reduktion der CO2-Emissionen. Natürlich passt nicht für alle EU-Länder dasselbe Modell in der Landwirtschaft, aber kann das dänische Modell für eine nachhaltige Zukunft ein Vorbild für andere Staaten sein?
Unsere Gäste sind dieses Mal Christian Orthmann Andersen, Vorsitzender von LandboUngdom, Niels Peter Nørring, Klima-Direktor des dänischen Landwirtschafts- und Ernährungsrats, sowie Neda Skakelja, Leiterin der Einheit für die nordischen und baltischen Mitgliedstaaten Dänemark, Schweden, Finnland, Estland, Lettland und Litauen bei der Generaldirektion Landwirtschaft und ländliche Entwicklung der Europäischen Kommission.

57. Dänemarks Plan für nachhaltige Landwirtschaft in Europa

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗖𝗗𝗖?

In this episode of ECDC On Air, four current trainees – Arnau Cabruja Amat, Paula Messa Carmona, Dana Alsaialy and Márcia Luís share their journeys, daily work, and the unique perspectives they bring to Europe’s disease prevention hub.

You’ll hear about:
🔬 Their diverse backgrounds, from biomedical sciences to social sciences and mathematics
💊 What day-to-day tasks look like in areas such as mathematic modelling, international relations, and antimicrobial resistance
🎓 Honest advice for future trainees on making the most of the nine-month programme
🛥️ Life in Stockholm – from fika breaks to archipelago adventures
👩‍💼 Career opportunities after the traineeship

The conversation wraps up with audience questions and a rapid-fire round of fun, personal insights.

‼️ The traineeship call for 2026 is open from 9 September to 7 October 2025. Don’t miss your chance! ‼️

Click: https://bit.ly/ECDCTraineeships

ECDC: on Air - Episode 65 - All you Need to Know about Traineeships at ECDC

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 11 September 2025.

Our monetary policy statement at a glance, 11 September 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/visual-mps/2025/html/mopo_statement_explained_september.en.html

Christine Lagarde, Luis de Guindos: Monetary policy statement, 11 September 2025 
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/2025/html/ecb.is250911~a13675b834.en.html

Monetary policy decisions, 11 September 2025 
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2025/html/ecb.mp250911~6afb7a9490.en.html

Combined monetary policy decisions and statement, 11 September 2025 
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/shared/pdf/ecb.ds250911~df624f06ba.en.pdf

Macroeconomic projections, 11 September 2025
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/projections/html/ecb.projections202509_ecbstaff~c0da697d54.en.html

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

President Lagarde presents the latest monetary policy decisions – 11 September 2025

The latest survey from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the fourth of its kind, confirms that Candidozyma auris (formerly Candida auris) continues to spread quickly across European hospitals, posing a serious threat to patients and healthcare systems.

Case numbers are rising, outbreaks are growing in scale, and several countries report ongoing local transmission.

The findings highlight the importance of early detection and control of transmission to avoid widespread rapid dissemination.

Head of Section - Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections - Dr Diamantis Plachouras summarises the findings of the survey.

Dr Diamantis Plachouras - Drug-resistant C. auris spreading in European hospitals

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. We aim at strengthening #Europe's defences against infectious diseases.

ECDC's SoundCloud - the heartbeat of European epidemiology.

ECDC: on Air - Episode 63 - Risk Wire - Hepatitis A Spike in Europe: What’s Behind the Surge?

ECDC

Related tracks