ECB President Christine Lagarde on the digital euro and Europe’s financial future

As Europe moves closer to a digital euro, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde discusses the future of Europe’s currency and the importance of payment sovereignty.

Speaking with Josh Lipsky at the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Lagarde also weighs in on inflation, economic growth, and the ECB’s monetary policy outlook.

Listen to The Guide to the Global Economy wherever you get podcasts

Guide to the Global Economy is your go-to podcast for navigating the increasingly busy intersection of global economics, finance, national security, and geopolitics. Through interviews with leading experts and behind-the-scenes insights from the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, we break down the storylines that matter most for the global economy—from major news everyone’s talking about to developments few have noticed. These days, if you don’t get economics, you don’t get Washington. From tariffs to crypto to sanctions and beyond, our team is here to guide you. Watch and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Guide to the Global Economy Podcast

These days, if you don’t get economics, you don’t get Washington. From tariffs to crypto to sanctions and beyond, our team is here to guide you. Watch and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

EconoGraphics Oct 12, 2026

Live updates from the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Thailand as financial leaders take on AI, debt, and geopolitical upheaval

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts are on the ground talking to leaders and getting the behind-the-scenes scoop on how the Bretton Woods institutions are taking on the most urgent challenges in the global economy.

Economy & Business Energy & Environment

Econographics Jun 19, 2026

Central banks can’t afford to keep missing their inflation targets

By Jack Muldoon

While the Iran war explains the sudden rise in inflation, relying on this excuse obscures that there is potentially a long-term problem central banks will need to confront as they manage the long tail of this crisis.

Economy & Business Macroeconomics

At the intersection of economics, finance, and foreign policy, the GeoEconomics Center is a translation hub with the goal of helping shape a better global economic future.

Learn more

Related Experts: Josh Lipsky and Jessie Yin

Image: The European Central Bank’s digital euro webpage is displayed on a smartphone alongside euro banknotes and coins in this photo illustration, as policymakers advance plans for a potential central bank digital currency. Taken in Brussels, Belgium, on 21 February 2026. (Jonathan Raa / Sipa USA)