Escalating geopolitical tensions, trade wars, and volatile policy shifts are reshaping the rules of global commerce and finance and bringing the dominance of the US dollar into question. This column argues that Europe has a historic opportunity to elevate the euro into a trusted global anchor of stability and thus rebalance a global monetary order […]
Importing energy-intensive goods would be more efficient for EU clean industry goals than importing clean energy itself. Clean industrialisation is a political and economic priority for the European Union. For it to work, affordable clean energy is needed. However, producing this energy in Europe is constrained by limited renewable energy endowments (sunshine and wind) and […]
Product market regulation reforms directly affect firm entry, innovation and reallocation, and thus productivity and economic growth. This column leverages the 2025 update of the OECD Energy, Transport and Communications Regulation indicator to show that anticompetitive regulations in upstream sectors curb long-run economic performance in downstream sectors. Across the OECD, deregulation in network industries between […]
The prosperity and economic transformation of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) hinge on making energy reliable and affordable for all. Across the region, many countries are prioritizing energy efficiency and renewable energy as part of their development strategies —not only to strengthen energy security, but also to create jobs, foster innovation, and lower costs. Renewables […]
Cities in low- and middle-income countries are growing fast—but their ability to finance the infrastructure and services needed to support people and jobs is lagging behind. The consequences are real: without better roads, transit, water, energy, and housing, cities struggle to deliver basic services or attract investment, limiting job creation and economic opportunity. That’s because urban infrastructure […]
Oil prices climbed about 2% to a two-week high on Monday after the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily slash tariffs, raising hopes of an end to the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. Brent crude futures rose $1.35, or 2.1%, to $65.26 a barrel by 11:39 a.m. EDT (1539 GMT), while U.S. […]
Amazon’s cloud computing division will invest $4 billion to build its first data centers and other cloud infrastructure in Chile, the company’s head of South Latin America told Reuters. Amazon Web Services (AWS) expects the cloud region, its third in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico, to be operational by the second half of 2026. […]
During the Greek debt crisis, zombie firms and non-performing business loans peaked at 20% and 50%, respectively. This column examines the negative effects of ‘zombie’ firms on investment, employment, and productivity during the crisis. The findings suggest that zombie firms have a negative impact on the economy through multiple channels, but highlight heterogeneities across sectors. […]
