On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve Committee delivered the third consecutive rate cut in the last three meetings, bringing its key policy rate to a range of 3.5%–3.75%. Fed Chair Powell indicated increasing tensions between the two targets of its dual mandate: rising inflation, mainly due to tariffs, and weak labour market conditions, resulting in diverging views on monetary pol ...
Munich: a technological look at a region that makes choices
Reflections on the VOKA business mission to Bavaria International missions are, for me, primarily a way to understand how other regions approach technology, innovation, and competitiveness. Not to admire them, but to learn from them, and especially to see where Flanders can choose differently (and sometimes better). The recent VOKA business mission to Munich offered a fasci ...
“Climate Shock” from a Self-Sufficiency Perspective
From moral leadership to self-sufficiency A few weeks ago, we discussed how the moral narrative in climate policy leads to paralysis today, and why a new perspective is needed[1]. For a long time, Europe relied on a moral narrative of shared responsibility and international cooperation. Climate policy was seen as a collective task in which countries trusted one another and jo ...
Europe’s Push for Digital Sovereignty: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
Last month’s summit in Berlin on “European Digital Sovereignty” gathered +900 policymakers, industry leaders, investors and researchers from the 27 EU Member States. Initiated by France and Germany, measures were presented aimed at fostering innovative solutions and infrastructures while reducing technological dependencies and protecting strategic assets. The summit served as ...
#MacroFriday: The last mile in Euro Area services inflation
The inflation crisis in the Euro Area is over, but the real story is how stubborn services price inflation has become. On Tuesday, Eurostat published its flash estimate for euro area inflation in November, which came in at 2.2% year-on-year, up slightly from 2.1% in October. The HICP inflation estimate for Belgium stood at 2.6%. While inflation remains above the ECB’s target, ...
What We Get Wrong About Data Centers - and How to Fix It
Data centers have become convenient villains in the public debate. They are blamed for overloading the grid, worsening congestion, consuming “too much” electricity, and wasting heat that evaporates uselessly into the air. And yes, these concerns come from real pressures: Europe’s electricity grids are strained, clean generation is lagging behind demand, and many data centers st ...