The ECB Podcast

Navigating financial stability in uncertain times
How worried should Europe be about financial stability at a time of geopolitical and policy uncertainty and rising global trade tensions? As we mark the 20th anniversary of our Financial Stability Review, our host Paul Gordon discusses the risks with expert John Fell in the latest episode of The ECB Podcast.

Climate change and nature loss are affecting all aspects of our lives, including our economies. What is the latest research telling us, and how much of GDP do we stand to lose? Stefania Secola talks to Executive Board member Frank Elderson and Deputy Director General and researcher Livio Stracca about how rising physical risks will affect our economies.

President Lagarde presents the latest monetary policy decisions – 17 October 2024
Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

“Swiftflation”, banknotes and the digital euro
What do Taylor Swift concerts have to do with inflation? When could the digital euro be out? And what will our future euro banknotes look like? In this special #AskECB episode, our guests answer your questions as we mark The ECB Podcast’s fifth birthday.

President Lagarde presents the latest monetary policy decisions – 12 September 2024
Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

The ECB Podcast Summer School #2: A day in the life of a banking supervisor
What does a day in the life of a banking supervisor look like? How does one become a supervisor? And why does no one care about them – until things go wrong, that is! In our second Summer School episode, our host Stefania Secola speaks to Ramón Quintana Aguirre, who heads the supervision of the largest euro area banks.

The ECB Podcast Summer School #1: What do European banking supervision and football have in common?
What is European banking supervision and how is it connected to our bank accounts? And what does football have to do with it? Our host Stefania Secola discusses these questions and more with Supervisory Board member Elizabeth McCaul in the first episode of our Summer School on banking supervision.

President Lagarde presents the latest monetary policy decisions – 18 July 2024
Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Navigating challenges facing the international financial system
Klaas Knot, Chair of the Financial Stability Board, President of De Nederlandsche Bank, and member of the ECB Governing Council, and Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, discuss the challenges facing the international financial system at the ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal.

War, geopolitics and the economy
We live in uncertain times. Military conflict, including in Europe, is reshaping the geopolitical landscape. People are suffering. And our economies are also affected, which is a specific challenge for central banks. Our co-host Paul Gordon discusses this with Moritz Schularick, President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Price stability in unstable times
ECB President Christine Lagarde, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Governor of the Banco Central do Brasil Roberto Campos Neto sat down together to discuss the steps they’ve taken to fight inflation and reflect on the road ahead during the ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal.

The road ahead: is there room for optimism?
We just lowered our interest rates, as inflation is falling. But what was behind this decision? What is the state of our economy? And more importantly, what comes next? Our new co-host Paul Gordon discusses these questions with our Chief Economist Philip R. Lane.

President Lagarde presents the latest monetary policy decisions – 6 June 2024
Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Financial stability in a ChatGPT world
What does the rapid advance of AI mean for our financial system? And how is financial stability affected by geopolitical risk? Our host Stefania Secola puts these questions to expert John Fell in The ECB Podcast’s regular look at financial stability in the euro area.

What are inflation expectations? How do our personal experiences shape them? And why do they matter to central banks? In this episode of The ECB Podcast, our host Stefania Secola and researchers Geoff Kenny and Dimitris Georgarakos discuss how people form expectations about inflation and how we measure them.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Quo vadis, inflation?
We have made good progress in our fight against inflation since we started to tighten our monetary policy in 2022. Where do we stand right now? And what are we keeping a close eye on in the economy?

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Did you know that euro banknotes are getting a makeover? As the euro turns 25, let’s look at the road ahead for our banknotes. What will future euro banknotes look like, why do we need them, and when can we start using them? Join our host Stefania Secola and Sarai Artiles, who works on banknote communications, to find out more.

What lies ahead on our path to a greener future? How can we assess the impact of extreme weather on the economy? And how can we tackle financial risks from nature loss and degradation? With its new climate and nature plan, the ECB is stepping up its work in these areas over the next two years. Our host Stefania Secola discusses this and more with the head of the ECB’s climate change centre, Irene Heemskerk.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

The end of an era – five years with Andrea Enria
Outgoing Supervisory Board Chair Andrea Enria sat down with President Christine Lagarde during the ECB Forum on Banking Supervision to look back on his five-year term, marked by challenges such as the pandemic and reflects on the most difficult decision he had to take.

How are financial markets reacting to higher rates, a sluggish economy and geopolitical tensions? Should we worry about property markets? Our host Stefania Secola puts these and other questions to financial stability expert John Fell on The ECB Podcast.

Nature is in danger. This affects us all, including businesses and banks. Why is this relevant for the ECB’s mandate? Join our host Stefania Secola and her guest Frank Elderson, Executive Board member and Supervisory Board Vice-Chair, as they discuss nature loss, its impact on our economy and what we’re doing about it.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Will we soon pay with a digital euro? Although no decision has been made on issuance, we are preparing for a possible digital euro. This is fuelling a lot of interest − and misconceptions. Our host Stefania Secola and digital euro project head Evelien Witlox debunk some myths.

How can new technologies improve banking supervision? What challenges do they bring for supervisors? And how will artificial intelligence make Europe’s banks safer? Our new host Stefania Secola discusses these and other questions with Supervisory Board member Elizabeth McCaul.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Banks are one of the main channels through which our monetary policy decisions reach the economy. How have they passed on our recent interest rate hikes? Has it been the same for loans as for savings? And what is the impact on people and firms? Our host Katie Ranger and Chief Economist Philip R. Lane unpick these questions in the third and final episode of our Summer School mini-series.

We’ve been raising interest rates to bring down inflation. How does that work? Are we already seeing the impact on prices? And is this the end of super-low rates? Our host Katie Ranger puts these questions to Chief Economist Philip R. Lane in the second episode of our Summer School mini-series.

Inflation is falling, but it’s still higher than we want it to be. What’s making it hard to tackle? And what will determine how prices and wages develop? Our host Katie Ranger gets to the bottom of this with Chief Economist Philip R. Lane in the first episode of our Summer School mini-series.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

How are changes in energy markets affecting people’s lives? How can we make our economies more resilient to shocks? Our host Katie Ranger discusses these questions with Norges Bank Governor Ida Wolden Bache on The ECB Podcast while at the ECB Forum on Central Banking.

How stable is the global economic recovery? Is geoeconomic fragmentation a threat? Gita Gopinath, IMF First Deputy Managing Director, joins our host Katie Ranger on The ECB Podcast to discuss these and other topics while at the ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra, Portugal.

What is the risk of a wage-price spiral? How long will we go on raising interest rates? And are companies’ high profits fuelling inflation? Our host Katie Ranger discusses these questions with our Chief Economist Philip R. Lane on The ECB Podcast.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

How stable is our financial system? And what risks do we see for banks and property markets? Our host Katie Ranger delves into this topic with financial stability expert John Fell on The ECB Podcast.

As part of the celebrations for the ECB’s 25th anniversary, ECB President Christine Lagarde looks back at a quarter of a century of commitment to price stability and working for a better Europe, and explores what might lie ahead.

How transparent do organisations need to be about climate risks, and why does it matter? Where do banks and the ECB stand on sharing this information? Our host Katie Ranger speaks with Executive Board member and Supervisory Board Vice-Chair Frank Elderson in this episode of The ECB Podcast.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

To mark International Women’s Day, President Christine Lagarde and WTO Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala discuss women in the economy and share their experiences as female leaders.

Does a central bank make profits and losses? How do they come about? And what was our financial position at the end of 2022? Our host Katie Ranger puts these questions to press officer William Lelieveldt on The ECB Podcast.

How much do you know about Croatia’s economy? And what about the steps the country had to take to adopt the euro? Our host KatieRanger and economist Martin Bijsterbosch explore these topics on The ECB Podcast.

Every year we look at the challenges banks face, to make sure they can fend them off. What did we find in our latest assessment? How are banks faring in these uncertain times? Our host Katie Ranger explores these questions with Supervisory Board Chair Andrea Enria in The ECB Podcast.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Croatia adopted the euro on 1 January. What did people, businesses and national authorities do to ensure a smooth transition to the euro? Our host Katie Ranger looks at the currency changeover with expert Patricia Roa Tejero on The ECB Podcast.

How is inflation affecting people and firms? Why are we raising interest rates? How will it help bring inflation down? Our host Katie Ranger talks to press officer Eva Taylor on The ECB Podcast.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

What will our banking supervisors focus on in the next three years? Are Europe’s banks fit to withstand the economic challenges? Our host Katie Ranger puts these questions to Supervisory Board Member Kerstin af Jochnick and supervisor Mario Quagliariello on The ECB Podcast.

Are cyberattacks a threat to financial stability? Why do hackers target financial institutions? Our host Katie Ranger delves into this topic with financial stability expert John Fell on The ECB Podcast.

How is financial stability faring in today's challenging environment? What risks do we see for financial markets and real estate? Our host Katie Ranger talks to financial stability experts Tamarah Shakir and John Fell on The ECB Podcast.

We’ve looked at how banks are taking climate and environmental risks into account in their business. What did we find? Are banks meeting our supervisory expectations? Our host Katie Ranger discusses the results of our thematic review with Executive Board member and Supervisory Board Vice-Chair Frank Elderson on The ECB Podcast.

Our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to this episode where President Christine Lagarde presents the decisions during our press conference.

Would people’s privacy be safe with a digital euro? What could a digital euro mean for Europe? And what’s next in the digital euro project? Our host Katie Ranger continues her conversation with expert Evelien Witlox.

Do we need a digital euro, and why? What might it look like? And how would it differ from other means of payment? Our host Katie Ranger puts these questions to digital euro expert Evelien Witlox.

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions.

How can digitalisation help central banks? And what role does cutting-edge technology play? In this episode, host Katie Ranger talks about this and more with Claudia Plattner, our head of information systems.

What are interest rates? How do they work? And what do higher rates mean for people, the economy and inflation? Our host, Katie Ranger, puts these questions to expert Gabriel Glöckler on The ECB Podcast.

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions.

What did our climate stress test show? How will we integrate climate change into monetary policy? Our host Katie Ranger puts these and other questions to Executive Board member Frank Elderson on the ECB Podcast.

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions.

How is financial stability doing in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? What risks are we keeping an eye on, for instance in the crypto-asset and housing markets?

How has central bank communication evolved over the years? Why is it important for us to be transparent? How can increased transparency increase trust?

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area. Listen to President Christine Lagarde present today’s decisions.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is first and foremost a human tragedy, but it is also having an economic impact. What effect is the conflict having on the euro area? And how might the economic situation develop?

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a watershed for Europe. Today our Governing Council expressed its full support to the people of Ukraine. It also decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area.

Our President Christine Lagarde and LSE Director Minouche Shafik share their experiences and discuss the impact gender bias has on education, home life, the workplace and leadership in this episode of The ECB Podcast.

Are banks well-equipped to tackle risks and emerging challenges? What are supervisors most worried about? In this episode of The ECB Podcast, host Katie Ranger discusses these questions with Supervisory Board Chair Andrea Enria and Vice-Chair Frank Elderson.

Make sure you have a euro banknote to hand as our host Katie Ranger and Martin Münd, counterfeit expert and banknote enthusiast, explore everything you need to know about euro banknotes.

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what’s needed to achieve stable prices in the euro area.

Today our Governing Council decided on monetary policy, determining what should be done to achieve stable prices in the euro area.

What defines good leadership? Which skills do those who run banks need and how can we, as the supervisor, help choose the right people for the job? In this episode of The ECB Podcast, our host Katie Ranger and Frank Elderson, Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board, discuss leadership and our role in selecting banks’ leaders.

How has the pandemic affected Europe’s banks? Do they have the right tools to deal with what lies ahead? In this episode of The ECB Podcast, our host Katie Ranger explores these questions with insights from discussions at the 2021 ECB Forum on Banking Supervision.

What is causing the rise in inflation we are seeing at the moment? And which trends could impact prices in the future? In The ECB Podcast, host Katie Ranger looks for answers to these questions in the discussions held at the recent ECB Forum on Central Banking.

Our inflation objective and how price changes are measured, employment, climate change… These are just some of the topics we’ve looked at during our strategy review, the outcome of which we revealed in July. In this episode of The ECB Podcast, our host Katie Ranger discusses the review with Chief Economist Philip R. Lane.

We at the ECB conducted our first economy-wide climate stress test this year. What are the results? And what do they mean for people, companies, and banks? In this episode of The ECB Podcast, our host Katie Ranger discusses these questions with Vice-President Luis de Guindos and Irene Heemskerk, the head of our climate change centre.

Hawks, doves, owls, swans, bulls and bears… even ostriches. What connects these animals to central banking? How can they help us find our way around the world of economics and finance? Our host Katie Ranger talks about these questions with communications advisor Gabriel Glöckler on The ECB Podcast.

How can we foster the economic empowerment of women after the coronavirus crisis? And what role does transatlantic cooperation play in shaping a more inclusive recovery? Listen to ECB President Christine Lagarde, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen talk about this and more in the latest episode of the ECB Podcast, hosted by Katie Ranger.

What does financial stability have to do with cycling and zombies? How has the third wave of the pandemic affected the financial system? What risks lie ahead? Our host Katie Ranger discusses these questions with our financial stability experts Tamarah Shakir and John Fell on The ECB Podcast.

How can we as a central bank contribute to tackling climate change? What's our role as a central bank and supervisor? Our new host Katie Ranger discusses these questions with Executive Board members Isabel Schnabel and Frank Elderson in this episode of The ECB Podcast.

How can we empower women to aim high? ECB President Christine Lagarde and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, talk about this and share their personal experiences as female leaders in the latest episode of The ECB Podcast hosted by Michael Steen.

What are banking supervisors worried about for 2021? Why are “marriages” between banks a good idea? And how can supervisors help banks to be part of the solution during this crisis? Our host Michael Steen finds answers to these questions in The ECB Podcast.

How will the coronavirus vaccine affect economic recovery in 2021? Where do we stand after nine months of fighting the crisis? And what is the role of the ECB’s monetary policy? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions with our Chief Economist Philip R. Lane.

What do cycling and financial stability have in common? How has the pandemic affected the financial system and the economy? What risks lie ahead? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions and more with economists John Fell and Tamarah Shakir, who analyse financial stability at the ECB.

What is a digital euro? What would its benefits be and how would it affect the way we make payments? When could it be ready? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions and more with Ulrich Bindseil, who is responsible for market infrastructures and payments at the ECB.

How is AI changing what we do? What does a job in the platform economy look like? And how is the coronavirus pandemic affecting the way we work in the long-term? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions and more with economists Robert Anderton and Lara Vivian.

How does the increased use of digital technologies change the way we work? Is the fear of automation taking away our jobs justified? Or do our tasks and skills evolve to meet the new conditions? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions and more with economists Valerie Jarvis and Robert Anderton in this episode.

What challenges does the coronavirus pandemic pose for banks? And what role can they play in helping the real economy deal with the crisis? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions and more with ECB Supervisory Board Chair Andrea Enria in this episode.

What is the role of financial markets in the economy? How does the coronavirus pandemic affect markets? Is the current crisis also a financial crisis? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions with ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel.

How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting the economy? Which sectors have been hit hardest? What is the ECB doing to limit the economic impact of the crisis? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions with ECB Chief Economist Philip R. Lane.

How does climate change affect financial stability? Why isn’t the ECB buying more green bonds? How can banks better prepare for climate-related risks? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions with expert guests Fatima Pires, Madelaine Roos and Patrick Amis

Why do we need banking supervision at the European level? Should a bank be allowed to fail? What does a normal day look like for a supervisor? What are the supervisory challenges posed by Brexit? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions with expert guests Andrea Enria, Pien van Erp Taalman Kip and Linette Field.

What was it like when the euro was launched in 1999? Where will the euro be in another 20 years? Is there a link between support for the euro and trust in the ECB? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions with Erkki Liikanen, Martin Wolf and Siria Angino.

What do porridge and prices have in common? How do music and video streaming affect inflation? And is low inflation the new normal? Our host Michael Steen discusses with guests Christiane Nickel, Frank Smets, and ECB Chief Economist Philip R. Lane.

The implications of crypto-assets, emerging payment technologies and Facebook’s plans to create a global digital currency, Libra – discussed by our host, Michael Steen, and guests, Dirk Bullmann, Maria Teresa Chimienti, and ECB Executive Board member Benoît Cœuré.