In this OTT Talks episode, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski interview Scarlett Varga, Secretary General of Bruegel, about how an economic think tank navigates Europe’s shifting political and economic context.
Scarlett argues that “neutrality” is contested: Bruegel defines neutrality as openness to engage across the spectrum while disclosing biases and values, and she discusses the challenge of engaging radical-right or MAGA-adjacent actors without enabling shouting-match platforms.
She describes Brussels/EU as akin to The Grand Budapest Hotel—charming yet chaotic—and reflects on Bruegel’s adaptability during crises through flagship outputs, a strong research culture, and a diversified funding model.
The conversation also covers membership-based governance, tensions over independence, growth, and advice to aspiring think tankers: only do the work if you truly believe in it.
This episode is part of a series, Think tanks in a changing Europe, supported by the Open Society Foundations. You can listen to the whole series here.
Tune in, and visit bruegel.org to learn more about what was discussed during this podcast.