Press
China's growing grip on more than Germany's car industry
18 March 2025
Deutsche Welle
Germany’s industrial backbone is facing an unprecedented challenge. Once the leader in high-end manufacturing, the country has witnessed a five-year decline in industrial production, which threatens up to 5.5 million jobs and 20% of gross domestic product (GDP), according to a recent report by the London-based Centre for European Reform (CER)
RTL: Duits parlement stemt voor investeringen
18 March 2025
Sander Tordoir of the CER, spoke to RTL to discuss debt brake reform and the outlook for Germanys fiscal policy and economy.
NPO Radio 1: "Historische" dag voor Duitsland: schuldenrem wordt losgelaten
18 March 2025
Jarenlang was Duitsland onze zuinige buurman. Maar... dat gaat veranderen. Vandaag stemde de Duitse Bondsdag namelijk voor het loslaten van de "Schuldenbremse" - de schuldenrem die strenge begrotingsregels oplegde aan de Duitse regering - en voor een investeringspakket van honderden miljarden euro's.Waarom doet Duitsland dit, wat gaat er veranderen en, ook niet onbelangrijk, wat betekent dat voor ons? Dat bespreken we in deze uitzending met Bert Colijn, econoom bij ING Research, en Sander Tordoir, hoofdeconoom van de Europese denktank CER.
ITIF: The Trade War podcast - Trading blows: Is Europe prepared?
17 March 2025
In this episode of the Trade War Podcast by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, host Stan McCoy delves into the current state of US-EU trade tensions with esteemed European trade experts Ignacio Garcia Becerro and Aslak Berg of the CER.
Trump’s tech bros pose ‘existential threat’ to EU, says Brussels
15 March 2025
The Telegraph
The Brussels effect works because of the size of the EU market and the technical quality of the regulations themselves, said Aslak Berg, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think-tank.But it works best as a soft power, he added, which is different to the US approach of issuing “a very serious threat”.
Should Europe draw closer to China?
15 March 2025
Financial Times
In this deeply researched analysis for the Centre for European Reform think-tank, Anton Spisak contends that the benefits of the tariffs may not amount to much: "European carmakers face structural pressures that go far beyond subsidised foreign imports."
Volkswagen pode voltar a produzir veículos militares
14 March 2025
Diário Causa Operária
Segundo Sander Tordoir, economista chefe do Centre for European Reform, a ociosidade nas fábricas pode ser aproveitada tanto para aumentar a fabricação de veículos elétricos quanto para a produção militar.
Newstalk podcast: Latest on the proposed US-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine
14 March 2025
Vladimir Putin has said he has many questions about the proposed US-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine and appeared to set out a series of sweeping conditions that would need to be met before Russia would agree to such a truce.
We heard from Ian Bond, former British Diplomat in Moscow, and...
We heard from Ian Bond, former British Diplomat in Moscow, and...
Een Duitse begrotingsimpuls biedt de EU hoop
12 March 2025
NRC Handelsblad
Duitsland kan door het loslaten van de rem op staatsschulden investeren in defensie. De EU versterkt zo zijn strategische positie, stelt Sander Tordoir.
Pourquoi les Gafam sont au cœur du bras de fer commercial entre Donald Trump et l’UE
12 March 2025
Liberation
«Il est possible que l’UE ait recours à un outil qu’elle n’a encore jamais utilisé : l’instrument anti-coercition (IAC)», analyse Aslak Berg, chercheur spécialisé en économie internationale pour le think-tank Centre for European Reform. Un outil qui, jusqu’ici, faisait plutôt office de «bouton nucléaire», ajoute l’expert.
Een duurzaam, zelfstandig en krachtig Europa lonkt, ondanks de beschamende Nederlandse obstructie
12 March 2025
de Volkskrant
De communis opinio is dat onze zware industrie stervende is. Maar de eigenzinnige econoom Sander Tordoir, van het Berlijnse Centre of European Reform, wijst ons er fijntjes op dat het juist die basisindustrie is waarmee Europa de Verenigde Staten dik verslaat.
Filling the USAID gap: How Europe can step up to support democracy
11 March 2025
European Democracy Hub
The suspension and slashing of US democracy grants have left a yawning shortfall of approximately $2 billion per year, impacting thousands of civil society organisations and independent media outlets and placing many at risk of closure.
« L’Europe conserve de vrais atouts en cas de guerre commerciale avec les Etats-Unis »
11 March 2025
Le Monde
« Elon Musk et ses entreprises pourraient en faire partie », estime Aslak Berg, du cercle de réflexion Centre for European Reform. Il suggère par exemple que les publicités sur le réseau social X – qui appartient au milliardaire – pourraient être interdites dans l’UE.
The dawn of euro defence bonds?
11 March 2025
Reuters
The Centre for European Reform said last month that bond issuance for defence was feasible and had many upsides. In particular, they noted that a 500 billion euro fund at current yields would generate an annual interest bill of less than 20 billion euros."Since everyone would be on the hook to repay the debt, it could also reduce countries free-riding on the defense capabilities of rapidly ramping-up peers like Poland," it said.
Volkswagen open to building military equipment for German army
11 March 2025
The Telegraph
Sander Tordoir, the chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, said building military equipment could provide “a new line of business” for struggling carmakers.Pledges to stoke German consumer demand by easing “debt brake” budget rules and unleashing government stimulus were unlikely to push factories back up to full capacity, he added.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Can Europe still rely on the United States?
11 March 2025
Charles Grant and Kori Schake discuss what America’s hostility to the rules-based international order means for transatlantic relations.
Britain is dependent on US weapons. We now face a terrible choice
10 March 2025
The Telegraph
Sander Tordoir, at the Centre for European Reform, says Britain should now look to co-operate with key allies such as Germany, France and Italy who are in the same boat. Along with the EU they have pledged to unlock hundreds of billions of euros for domestic defence spending.
‘Eerste uitgavenpakket CDU en SPD zat nogal slecht in elkaar’
10 March 2025
BNR Nieuwsradio
Duitsland is inmiddels al 0,8 procent van zijn bbp aan export kwijt aan China, maar de Chinese auto’s, machines en staal duiken ook op in andere exportmarkten, zegt Sander Tordoir, hoofdeconoom van denktank Centre for European Reform.
EU must brace for impact of Trump wrecking ball on global trading system
09 March 2025
The Guardian
Recent analysis by Aslak Berg at the Centre for European Reform, suggested a 20% tariff on all EU exports would lead to a decline in exports to the US of $200bn a year. “Given the weakness of the European economy, this would certainly cause a recession,” he said.
No European defence without Germany
08 March 2025
Financial Times
Now the EU has a panoply of measures to promote joint procurement and innovation in defence technology. Luigi Scazzieri of the Centre for European Reform provides an excellent overview of the EU’s ambitions in this field