Global Economy Podcast

Jaksot

• 
  Episode 128: Future-Proof or Future-Trapped? The DMA Meets Generative AI with Thibault Schrepel and Dyuti Pandya 14.07.2026 44min

  In this episode, Fredrik Erixon hosts a conversation on how the EU’s Digital Markets Act is being tested by the rapid development of generative and agentic AI. He is joined by legal scholar Thibault Schrepel, Associate Professor of Law at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty Affiliate at Stanford CodeX, and Director of Stanford Computational Antitrust, together with ECIPE Analyst Dyuti Pandya. They discuss why the DMA’s fixed “core platform service” categories may struggle to capture foundation models that evolve across multiple uses and markets. The conversation explores key tensions around data access, interoperability and self-preferencing, as well as recent developments involving Apple’s Siri AI, Google’s AI Overviews and Meta/WhatsApp. The discussion asks whether AI competition policy should rely less on rigid ex ante rules and more on flexible, conduct-based enforcement that can respond to harms as they emerge. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript here.
• 
  Episode 127: The EU Fight Over Gatekeepers – Sovereignty and Innovation in the Cloud with Kay Jebelli 14.07.2026 52min

  In this episode, Matthias Bauer speaks with Kay Jebelli (Kayvan Hazemi Jebelli), Vice President for Europe at the Chamber of Progress, about the real-world impact of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and its controversial expansion into next-generation enterprise cloud services.  Drawing on his background as a competition lawyer and recent market research, Jebelli argues that while European policymakers view the regulatory instrument as future-proof, its rigid enforcement is creating unintended friction for everyday consumers and delaying the rollout of advanced AI technologies. Focusing on cloud platforms, he explains how the European Commission is shifting away from traditional competition law and consumer welfare principles toward an agenda aimed at tech sovereignty and industrial policy. The conversation explores the unintended consequences of platform regulation, how the UK's flexible and participatory approach to cloud markets sharply diverged from the EU's gatekeeper model, the role of institutional independence within DG Competition, and the potential for transatlantic economic fallout. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript here.
• 
  Episode 126: Unlocking Adoption – How Labour Markets Shape Europe’s Tech Future with Erik Canton 06.07.2026 37min

  In this episode, Erik van der Marel speaks with Erik Canton, Deputy Chief Economist at DG Research and Innovation and Deputy Head of Unit for Common Research and Innovation Strategy & Foresight Service at the European Commission, about the often overlooked relationship between technology adoption and labour market institutions. Drawing on his recent paper, Employment Protection, Adjustment Costs, and Technology Adoption, Canton argues that the key policy challenge is not how innovation is created, but how effectively firms adopt and integrate new technologies. Focusing on AI, he explains how stringent employment protection legislation (EPL) can impose significant legacy and restructuring costs on large, productive incumbent firms, creating a structural barrier to technology adoption and productivity growth. The conversation explores Europe's productivity paradox, why startups are often better positioned to embrace technological change, the strengths of Nordic flexicurity models, and how AI is reshaping labour market dynamics by shifting attention from workers' skill levels to the specific tasks they perform. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here.
• 
  Episode 125: From Spaghetti Bowl to Safety Net – Standards, FTAs, and the WTO with Silvia Nuzzo 30.06.2026 30min

  In this episode, Oscar Guinea speaks with legal scholar Silvia Nuzzo about the evolving role of free trade agreements (FTAs) in the global trading system. Drawing on Silvia's book, Technical Barriers to Trade, Preferential Integration and the Law of the WTO, the conversation explores whether FTAs weaken or reinforce the WTO framework. The experts discuss technical barriers to trade, regulatory cooperation, and how agreements such as CETA, USMCA, and the EU's trade negotiations with Mercosur, India, and Australia are shaping modern trade governance. The episode also examines the rise of transactional trade policy, shifting geopolitical priorities, and the reforms that could help the World Trade Organization remain relevant in an increasingly fragmented global economy. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript here. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are personal and should not be attributed to the European Commission.
• 
  Episode 124: Beyond the Hype – The Reality of Quantum Computing in Europe with Milja Kalliosaari 17.06.2026 17min

  In this episode, Andrea Dugo speaks with Milja Kalliosaari, Government Relations Manager at IQM Quantum Computers, about Europe's position in the global race for quantum technologies. They discuss how quantum computing is moving from research to real-world deployment, the role of Finland and the Helsinki region in developing one of the world's leading quantum ecosystems, and the factors behind IQM's success. The conversation explores the importance of public procurement, industrial capacity, and scaling European innovation, as well as the challenges posed by fragmentation, regulation, and technological sovereignty. Looking ahead, they examine the policy priorities needed to ensure Europe remains competitive in the emerging quantum economy. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript here.
• 
  Episode 123: Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Realities in the Western Balkans with Bernd Christoph Ströhm 19.05.2026 42min

  In this episode, Philipp Lamprecht speaks with Bernd Christoph Ströhm, Senior Fellow at ECIPE and an expert at WIIW, about the critical geoeconomic and geopolitical shifts reshaping the Western Balkans. They explore how the region is currently facing a “structural shock” as a generation of doctors, engineers, and innovators migrates to the EU, driven by domestic corruption and a lack of meritocracy. Ströhm argues that this brain drain is hollowing out public services and slowing GDP growth, creating a vicious cycle that further weakens local institutions. The conversation also tackles the “integration fatigue” stalling EU enlargement. While Montenegro and Albania are making progress, others remain trapped by bilateral identity disputes, most notably North Macedonia, where trust has eroded following sacrifices made for the Prespa Agreement. As the EU’s decision-making remains slow, the experts warn that Russia and China are actively filling the gap through narrative warfare and strategic infrastructure loans. Ultimately, they conclude that the EU must adopt a more urgent and strategic approach to securing its immediate neighbourhood before its influence is permanently diminished. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript here.
• 
  Episode 122: Why Europe’s Neighbours Are the EU’s Real Geopolitical Test? with Tengiz Pkhaladze 22.04.2026 37min

  In this episode, Fredrik Erixon speaks with Tengiz Pkhaladze, Senior Fellow and Director of ECIPE’s Bridging Frontlines programme, about how the EU’s neighbouring regions have become the space where the Union’s geopolitical credibility is being tested in real time. They argue that Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, the Western Balkans, and the Black Sea region should be understood as one strategic frontier rather than as separate policy files. This is where questions of sovereignty, security, and geopolitical alignment are playing out most acutely.  Pkhaladze, author of the recent paper Europe's Frontier Countries: The EU's Geopolitical Test, highlights three structural weaknesses: fragmented policy tools, slow decision making, and unresolved conflict dynamics. While the EU has made progress through sharper strategic thinking, renewed enlargement momentum, and stronger defence initiatives, ambition still exceeds delivery. Until that gap is closed, others will continue to take advantage of it. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript here.
• 
  Episode 121: The Rise of Europe’s Litigation Economy – Will the New Product Liability Directive Make It Worse? with Oscar Guinea 03.03.2026 28min

  In this episode, ECIPE’s Fredrik Erixon and Oscar Guinea talk about the EU’s revised Product Liability Directive (PLD) and how it risks fuelling many new class action lawsuits. Is it really good for Europe’s economy that it imports more of America’s litigation culture for managing collective redress? Together, they look into how the PLD expands “product” to include software, AI systems, algorithms, and digital files, and how new evidentiary presumptions and disclosure rules could lower the burden of proof for claimants. The discussion links the PLD to Europe’s growing “mass litigation” infrastructure (funders, specialised law firms, claim-bundling platforms), warns about forum shopping and Single Market fragmentation, and contrasts litigation-heavy models with Nordic approaches centred on public enforcement and alternative dispute resolution. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here.
• 
  Episode 120: Cloud Resilience and Security – Why Exit, Portability and Lifecycle Design Matter with Nicky Stewart 16.02.2026 29min

  On this episode of ECIPE’s Global Economy Podcast, our Director, Matthias Bauer, welcomes Nicky Stewart, Senior Advisor at the Open Cloud Coalition, for a conversation on cloud markets in Europe, and how policy debates focus too heavily on market concentration and hyperscalers rather than on contractual lock-in, licensing practices, and lifecycle design. Drawing on ECIPE’s study Cloud Resilience and Security: Why Exit, Portability and Lifecycle Design Matter, the episode explores switching barriers, multi-cloud strategies, public procurement, competition enforcement under the DMA, and the importance of resilience and cybersecurity for Europe’s digital economy. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Nicky Stewart is currently Senior Advisor at the Open Cloud Coalition. In the past, she led the Cabinet Office government/industry Commercial workstream for G-Cloud. Nicky left the government in 2011 and was the former Commercial Director of UKCloud. She has been a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Cloud Computing Contracts and has taken an active role in the European Commission’s Cloud Special Interest Group. She was the vice chair of techUK’s Central Government Council and is on the Open Cloud for Research Environments Expert Advisory Board. Nicky is regularly quoted in the trade and national press on cloud issues.
• 
  Episode 119: The Trump Tariffs on Trial – What Are the Cases in the Supreme Court About? with Jeffrey Schwab 05.12.2025 36min

  In this episode, Fredrik Erixon speaks to Jeffrey Schwab of the Liberty Justice Center about the legality of the “Liberation Day tariffs”. A ruling by the Supreme Court is expected soon, and Schwab is the plaintiff lawyer behind the case V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump. Schwab lays out his case and explains the constitutional limits of presidential tariff powers. They explore the legal arguments, implications for businesses, prospects for potential refunds, and the expected timeline for the Court’s ruling. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Jeffrey Schwab serves as Senior Counsel and Interim Director of Litigation at the Liberty Justice Center, where he litigates cases to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights. Jeff has a particular interest in protecting the right of free speech and enforcing constitutional and other legal limits on government. He served as counsel for Mark Janus in Janus v. AFSCME, the landmark case in which the United States Supreme Court found that public employees could not be compelled to pay money to a union without their consent. He currently leads Liberty Justice Center’s efforts to enforce the Janus decision and protect public employees’ rights not to be forced to join or pay a union. Jeff has also served as lead counsel in Liberty Justice Center cases challenging restrictions on ride-share vehicles and home-sharing hosts, the implementation of a tax on Internet streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify on Chicago residents, and campaign finance laws that seek to benefit certain political contributors over others. Additionally, Jeff challenged an Illinois law limiting which courts people who seek to vindicate their constitutional rights against the state can file. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and is licensed in the US Supreme Court, the First, Second, Third, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as federal district courts in Illinois.
• 
  Episode 118: Trade Policy 3.0 – Three Scenarios for Tomorrowland with Lucian Cernat 25.11.2025 26min

  In this episode of our Global Economy Podcast, our Director, Oscar Guinea, talks with Lucian Cernat* about the latter’s new paper, Trade Policy 3.0: Three Scenarios for Tomorrowland. Their conversation outlines the evolution from trade policy 1.0 to 3.0 and how geopolitical tensions, resilience, and economic security shape today’s landscape. They cover the WTO’s role, lessons from COVID-19, and three future scenarios (immunity, sclerosis, and contagion), offering insights into the shifting global trade environment. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Read Lucian’s study here. Lucian Cernat is the Head of Trade in Goods, Tariff Negotiations, Technical Barriers to Trade, Customs and Rules of Origin at DG TRADE in the European Commission. Previously, he held the position of Head of Global Regulatory Cooperation and International Procurement Negotiation at the European Commission. Until 2008, he held various positions at the United Nations in Geneva dealing with trade and development issues. He has authored more than 20 publications on the development impact of trade policies, WTO negotiations, EU preferential market access, regional trade agreements, competition policy, corporate governance. Prior to his UN experience, he has been a Trade Diplomat with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and part of the negotiating team of bilateral FTAs with the EuroMed area and Baltic countries, preceding Romania’s accession to the EU. Lucian Cernat obtained a PhD from University of Manchester and a postgraduate diploma from Oxford University. He is also the author of Europeanization, Varieties of Capitalism and Economic Performance in Central and Eastern Europe (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006). *Disclaimer: the opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guest and do not represent an official position by the European Commission.
• 
  Episode 117: The Big Steal – How Weak IP Rights Undermine Innovation and Markets with Jonathan Barnett 04.11.2025 34min

  ECIPE’s Fredrik Erixon talks to Professor Jonathan Barnett, from the University of Southern California, about his recent book The Big Steal: Ideology, Interest, and the Undoing of Intellectual Property. Together, they discuss how policymakers have weakened IP protections in the last decades, partly because of shifting technologies and new ideas, and distorted innovation incentives. As a result, innovation and value generation have shifted between sectors and business models. The conversation also covers how strong IP rights contribute to long-term, high-value innovation, new entrepreneurship, and competition, drawing implications for Europe and global policy reform. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Order Professor Barnett’s book “The Big Steal: Ideology, Interest, and the Undoing of Intellectual Property” here. Jonathan M. Barnett is the Torrey H. Webb Professor of Law at the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, and director of the law school’s Media, Entertainment and Technology Law Program. He specialises in innovation law and policy, including antitrust, competition, corporate, and intellectual property law, with a focus on monetisation strategies and organisational structures in content and technology markets. He has published widely in scholarly and policy publications and comments regularly on innovation and competition policy in the press and at professional conferences. Prior to academia, he practised corporate law at a leading international law firm, specialising in mergers and acquisitions.
• 
  Episode 116: Globalisation in Retreat or Renewal? A Historical Perspective with Harold James 30.09.2025 44min

  In this episode of the Global Economy Podcast, ECIPE’s Chief Economist, Erik van der Marel, sits down with Harold James, Professor at Princeton University and a leading expert on globalisation. Together, they dive into James’s book Seven Crashes: The Economic Crises That Shaped Globalisation, exploring how major economic shocks — from demand-side crises like the Great Depression and the 2008 financial meltdown to supply-side disruptions like the 1840s food crisis, the 1970s oil shock, and COVID-19 — have repeatedly reshaped the course of globalisation, either slowing it down or propelling it forward. During their conversation, Erik and Professor James discuss the potential for a renewed wave of globalisation following the current negative supply shock. They trace historical parallels between past technologies — such as steam power and containerisation — and institutions like joint-stock companies that once propelled globalisation forward, and today’s transformative technologies, such as AI, that are likely to do the same. The dialogue also examines US policy, semiconductor bottlenecks, rare earths, the global shift toward services, intellectual property, and the role of education in shaping the future of globalisation. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Order Professor James’s book “Seven Crashes: The Economic Crises That Shaped Globalisation” here. Harold James, the Claude and Lore Kelly Professor in European Studies at Princeton University, is Professor of History and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School, and an associate at the Bendheim Center for Finance. His books include a study of the interwar depression in Germany, The German Slump (1986); an analysis of the changing character of national identity in Germany, A German Identity 1770-1990 (1989); International Monetary Cooperation Since Bretton Woods (1996), and The End of Globalization (2001), which is available in 8 languages. He was also coauthor of a history of Deutsche Bank (1995), which won the Financial Times Global Business Book Award in 1996, and he wrote The Deutsche Bank and the Nazi Economic War Against the Jews (2001). His most recent books include Family Capitalism, Harvard University Press, 2006; The Creation and Destruction of Value: The Globalization Cycle, Harvard University Press, 2009; Making the European Monetary Union, Harvard University Press, 2012; The Euro and the Battle of Economic Ideas (with Markus K. Brunnermeier and Jean-Pierre Landau), Princeton University Press, 2016; Making A Modern Central Bank: The Bank of England 1979-2003, Cambridge University Press 2020; The War of Words: A Glossary of Globalization, Yale University Press 2021; Seven Crashes: The Economic Crises That Shaped Globalization, Yale University Press 2023. He is the official historian of the International Monetary Fund. In 2004, he was awarded the Helmut Schmidt Prize for Economic History, and in 2005 the Ludwig Erhard Prize for writing about economics. He writes a monthly column for Project Syndicate.
• 
  Episode 115: Trump’s Tariffs and the WTO’s Future with Stuart Harbinson 14.07.2025 46min

  In this episode of the Global Economy Podcast, Fredrik Erixon speaks with Stuart Harbinson, former WTO Ambassador and senior fellow at ECIPE, about the state of global trade, the Trump tariffs, and the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO). They explore the erosion of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) principle, the rise of bilateralism, and the threat this poses to multilateral trade rules. The discussion highlights historical lessons, the limits and opportunities for WTO reform, and the role of the WTO Secretariat. Harbinson also offers pragmatic insights into dispute settlement, the MPIA, and possible paths forward for preserving the multilateral trading system. Read Stuart’s blog “The WTO in the Age of Trump’s Trade Bullying – Should There Be WTO Reform?“. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Stuart Harbinson had a distinguished career in public service in Hong Kong. From 1994 to 2002 he represented Hong Kong, and then the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, in the WTO in Geneva. He subsequently joined the WTO Secretariat as Chief of Staff to Director-General Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi and then became Senior Adviser to Director-General Pascal Lamy. He has rich experience as a former Chairman of a number of WTO bodies, including the TRIPS and Services Councils, and the Dispute Settlement Body. He was Chairman of the WTO’s overarching body, the General Council overseeing preparations for the launch of the Doha round, and of the negotiating group handling the formative stages of the Doha negotiations on agriculture. He has also chaired a number of WTO dispute settlement panels. After leaving the WTO, he worked in the UNCTAD Secretariat and for international law firms in Geneva, and has undertaken several trade-related technical assistance projects. He currently serves as a part time adviser on international trade for Penta Group, the world’s first comprehensive stakeholder solutions firm.
• 
  Episode 114: Fence-Sitters and Frustrations – The EU’s Slow Path to Western Balkan Integration with Bernd Christoph Ströhm 07.07.2025 39min

  This episode of the Global Economy Podcast, hosted by Philipp Lamprecht, features Dr Bernd Christoph Ströhm and focuses on the geopolitical and economic relevance of the Western Balkans for the European Union. The conversation explores the region’s strategic importance amid increasing competition from China and Russia, challenges in the EU enlargement process, and the growing frustration among Western Balkan countries over stalled accession talks. The episode highlights how EU regulations can impose unintended costs on neighbouring countries and calls for more flexible, credible, and inclusive policies. Bernd and Philipp advocate for a more responsive, strategic, and geopolitically aware EU approach to its neighbourhood. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Dr Bernd Christoph Ströhm is a Senior Fellow at the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE), a Senior Research Associate and Country Expert at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), and a Political Risk / OSINT Analyst at S&P Global. At ECIPE, his research focuses on Russia’s foreign policy dynamics, the influence of non-EU actors such as Russia and China on Southeastern Europe, the EU integration of the Western Balkans, and the economic and political development of the entire Western Balkan region. He holds a PhD in East European Studies and a master’s in Advanced International Studies. At the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), he regularly drafts comprehensive macroeconomic analyses and policy forecast reports, assessing economic trends and policy impacts in the Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) region. At S&P Global, he crafts analytical pieces on political risk-inducing events in the CESEE region, including policy changes and protest risks. He also monitors the outcomes of national and regional elections in the Western Balkans, while drafting country reports that evaluate political and governmental stability within the CESEE region. Bernd worked on numerous publications and different projects, including in-depth analyses of Chinese infrastructure investments in the Western Balkans for the European Parliament, a thorough cohesion policy study on Germany for the European Commission, or a study on free trade policy recommendations for the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). He teaches as a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, where he holds interdisciplinary lectures and seminars. His lectures and seminars cover the evolution of the international system, the political and economic situation in the Western Balkans, and the geopolitical and geoeconomic influences of China and Russia on the region, as well as the evolution of Russia’s domestic and foreign policy dynamics.
• 
  Episode 113: Inside the Reagan White House – Lessons for Today’s Politics with Frank Lavin 01.07.2025 40min

  Frank Lavin joins Fredrik Erixon on the ECIPE Global Economy podcast to discuss his book Inside the Reagan White House: A Front Row Seat to Presidential Leadership with Lessons for Today. The conversation centres on Reagan’s leadership and the philosophical pillars of his presidency. Lavin reflects on Reagan’s views on government, the Cold War, and his moral approach to foreign policy, comparing it to today’s tendency to use more grievance-driven rhetoric. They also explore Reagan’s ability to unite people across political divides, his optimism, and his focus on individual empowerment. The discussion highlights valuable leadership lessons for today’s political climate. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Order Mr Lavin’s book “Inside the Reagan White House: A Front-Row Seat to Presidential Leadership with Lessons for Today” here. Frank Lavin is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution (Stanford University). He was CEO of Export Now and he is the author of several books on economics and international affairs, including “Home Front to Battlefront: An Ohio Teenager in World War II (War and Society in North America)”. Frank has had senior posts in national security and international policy in the administrations of the two Bush presidencies and was Director of Politics under Ronald Reagan.
• 
  Episodio Especial 4: Panamá entre Gigantes – Soberanía, Canal y Poder Global con Carlos Ruiz-Hernández 24.06.2025 51min

  El episodio 4 del pódcast Sin Arancel de por Medio presenta una conversación con Carlos Ruiz-Hernández, ex vicecanciller de Panamá y actual asesor en CSIS y el Inter-American Dialogue. El diálogo aborda el papel de Panamá en la geopolítica actual, destacando su ingreso al Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU, su postura frente a la retórica de Donald Trump sobre el canal de Panamá, y la política exterior pragmática del presidente Mulino. También se analizan las relaciones con China, la salida del país de la Ruta de la Seda, y el papel estratégico de Panamá ante Estados Unidos, la Unión Europea y el cambio climático. Puedes leer una transcripción completa en español de la conversación aquí. Lee el post en Substack que acompaña a este episodio aquí. Suscríbete a Sin Arancel de por Medio en Apple Podcasts o Spotify, para no perderte ningún episodio, y en Substack, donde podrás encontrar información adicional a nuestras conversaciones. – Episode 4 of the podcast Sin Arancel de por Medio features a conversation with Carlos Ruiz-Hernández, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Panama and current advisor at CSIS and the Inter-American Dialogue. The discussion explores Panama’s role in global geopolitics, including its entry into the UN Security Council, its stance on Donald Trump’s rhetoric about the Panama Canal, and the pragmatic foreign policy of President Mulino. It also examines Panama’s relations with China, its exit from the Belt and Road Initiative, and its strategic position in relation to the United States, the European Union, and climate change. You can read a complete transcript of the conversation in English here. Find the Substack post (in Spanish) accompanying this piece here. Subscribe to Sin Arancel de por Medio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, to not miss out on the release of any episodes, as well as on Substack, where we will share complimentary information to the conversations. Carlos Ruiz-Hernández, ha sido vicecanciller de la República de Panamá. Carlos cuenta con una destacada trayectoria diplomática. Entre sus logros destaca la entrada de Panamá como miembro no permanente del Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas desde enero de 2025. En la actualidad, Carlos es asesor principal de política exterior en el Centro de Estudios Estratégicos e Internacionales, conocido por sus siglas en inglés como CSIS, con sede en Washington, y Senior Fellow del Inter-American Dialogue. – Carlos Ruiz-Hernández has served as Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Panama and has a distinguished diplomatic career. Among his achievements is Panama’s entry as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in January 2025. Currently, he is a Senior Foreign Policy Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), based in Washington, and a Senior Fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue.
• 
  Episode 112: Techno-Nationalism – Strategic Competition in the 21st Century with Alex Capri 03.06.2025 34min

  In this episode of the ECIPE Global Economy Podcast, Fredrik Erixon speaks with Alex Capri about his new book Techno-Nationalism: How It Is Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics, and Society. The conversation explores the growing entanglement of technology, national security, and economic policy, focusing on key elements such as supply chain weaponisation, strategic decoupling, and tech diplomacy. Capri highlights the geopolitical competition over critical technologies like semiconductors and AI, the implications for global supply chains, and the strategic dilemmas faced by smaller countries. The discussion offers both historical context and forward-looking insight into a fragmenting yet innovation-driven global economy. You can purchase the book “Techno-Nationalism: How It Is Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics, and Society” here. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here. Alex Capri teaches in the Business School at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and in the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He has worked extensively in China and Asia for two decades, where he was a partner and the regional leader of KPMG’s Asia Trade & Customs Practice, based in both Hong Kong and Singapore. Prior to his consulting career, he was a trade specialist in the U.S. Treasury Department, and the U.S. Customs Service. Alex is a regular panellist for the World Economic Forum (WEF). He writes for Forbes Asia and Nikkei Asia, and he is a frequent guest on global television and radio networks. Known for his expertise in supply chains, global trade, technology and geopolitics, he is a research fellow at the Hinrich Foundation, a senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and a board member of Purdue University’s Krach Institute of Tech-Diplomacy. He advises corporate boards on geo-economics and techno-nationalism and he provides guidance to clients on cross-border projects throughout Asia and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Alex holds an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, in International Political Economy and a B.Sc. in International Relations, from the University of Southern California.
• 
  Episode 111: What Have We Learnt from Trump’s Tariff Mess? with Erik van der Marel 16.04.2025 42min

  On this episode of the Global Economy Podcast, Fredrik Erixon speaks with ECIPE’s Chief Economist, Erik van der Marel, about the consequences of the Trump administration’s threat to impose tariffs, particularly in relation to global trade and the restructuring of the US economy. The conversation explores how US production and trade networks have evolved, the implications of high tariffs, and the impact of such policies on global value chains. It also highlights the integration of services, such as R&D, marketing, and consultancy, into new forms of globalisation. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here. You can read a transcript of the chat here.
• 
  Episodio Especial 3: La Crisis Migratoria y de Seguridad en América Latina con Érika Rodríguez Pinzón 14.04.2025 47min

  En este episodio de Sin Arancel de Por Medio, nos centramos en los retos de la migración y la seguridad en América Latina. Oscar Guinea y Renata Zilli hablan con Érika Rodríguez Pinzón, directora de la Fundación Carolina, que explica la paradoja de que América Latina sea a la vez la región más pacífica en términos de guerra y, sin embargo, la más violenta debido al crimen organizado. La conversación aborda el vínculo entre los flujos migratorios, el auge de los grupos criminales y la globalización del comercio ilícito. Rodríguez Pinzón también aborda el debilitamiento de la democracia y de las estructuras de seguridad del Estado en la región, destacando el papel de la sociedad civil en la lucha contra la inseguridad. El episodio explora las complejidades de las políticas migratorias, en particular el impacto de las restricciones estadounidenses, y subraya la necesidad de sistemas migratorios flexibles y de la integración de trabajadores cualificados en el mercado laboral europeo. Puedes leer una transcripción completa en español de la conversación aquí. Lee el post en Substack que acompaña a este episodio aquí. Suscríbete a Sin Arancel de por Medio en Apple Podcasts o Spotify, para no perderte ningún episodio, y en Substack, donde podrás encontrar información adicional a nuestras conversaciones. – In this episode of Sin Arancel de Por Medio, we focus on the challenges of migration and security in Latin America. Oscar Guinea and Renata Zilli speak with Érika Rodríguez Pinzón, director of the Carolina Foundation, who explains the paradox that Latin America is both the most peaceful region in terms of war and yet the most violent due to organised crime. The conversation addresses the link between migratory flows, the rise of criminal groups and the globalisation of illicit trade. Rodríguez Pinzón also addresses the weakening of democracy and state security structures in the region, highlighting the role of civil society in the fight against insecurity. The episode explores the complexities of migration policies, in particular the impact of US restrictions, and stresses the need for flexible migration systems and the integration of skilled workers into the European labour market. You can read a complete transcript of the conversation in English here. Find the Substack post (in Spanish) accompanying this piece here. Subscribe to Sin Arancel de por Medio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, to not miss out on the release of any episodes, as well as on Substack, where we will share complimentary information to the conversations. Érika Rodríguez Pinzón es socióloga y doctora en Relaciones Internacionales por la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid con diploma de estudios avanzados en teoría política, teoría de administración y gestión pública. Ha sido investigadora asociada del Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales y profesora de sociología del desarrollo internacional en la misma universidad. Además, ha sido reconocida por tres años consecutivos como una de las mujeres líderes del top 100 de España en la revista Magazine en la categoría de académicas. También ha sido reconocida con la medalla al mérito del Consejo de Bogotá en 2018 por su trabajo en favor de la igualdad. Además, fue asesora especial del alto representante de la Unión Europea para las Relaciones con América Latina, Ad Honorem, y actualmente es directora de la Fundación Carolina, una institución que forma parte de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional y tiene como objetivo promover la cooperación educativa y científica entre España y América Latina. – Érika Rodríguez Pinzón is a sociologist and PhD in International Relations from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, with a diploma in advanced studies in political theory, public administration, and management. She has been an associate researcher at the Complutense Institute of International Studies and a professor of sociology of international development at the same university. She has also bee