19.05.2026
Paul Krugman
On the New Economic Order
On Tuesday, May 19, we welcomed one of the world’s leading economists: Nobel Prize laureate and longtime New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. In a world facing rising geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, and energy shocks, Krugman explored the forces reshaping the global economic order.
Wars in Europe and the Middle East are exacting a heavy human toll while sending shockwaves through the world economy. Rising oil and gas prices and growing uncertainty have renewed concerns about inflation and the risk of a global recession. Trade disputes and tariffs are shaking global alliances and unsettling markets worldwide. For Europe, these developments raise fundamental questions about competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and its position between major powers such as the United States and China.
How vulnerable is the global economy to energy disruptions? In what ways are tariffs and renewed industrial policies reshaping globalization? Can European democracies withstand the pressures of rising populism and economic and geopolitical turmoil? And what role might the Global South play in a more multipolar world economy? To explore these questions further Paul Krugman was joined in conversation by Sandra Phlippen, Alanna O’Malley and Aksel Erbahar.
This event was a collaboration between Studium Generale Erasmus, Royal Dutch Economic Association KVSand De Dépendance, and made possible by The Regional Science Academy, Karima Kourtit and EHERO. The evening was moderated by Geert Maarse.
Participants
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Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman is a Nobel Prize-winning economist and longtime New York Times columnist, renowned for his insights on trade, macroeconomics, and public policy. A professor emeritus at Princeton University, he has also taught at MIT and Yale. Krugman writes a daily and widely read Substack newsletter, praised for its incisive analysis of global markets, financial crises, and economic policy, making him one of the world’s most influential voices in economics today.
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Sandra Phlippen
Prof. dr. Sandra Phlippen is a Dutch economist and sociologist, currently Chief Sustainability Officer at ABN AMRO (previously Chief Economist), and Professor of Sustainable Banking at the University of Groningen. She holds a PhD in economics from the Tinbergen Institute, and previously worked as editor-in-chief of ESB and head of economics at Algemeen Dagblad, while remaining an active public commentator on economic policy.
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Alanna O’Malley
Prof. dr. Alanna O’Malley is Chair of Global Governance and Wealth at Erasmus University Rotterdam, specializing in international relations, the United Nations, decolonization, and the Global South. An ERC Laureate, she leads a major research project on Global South influence within the UN, has published widely in leading journals, and regularly contributes to international media such as the BBC and CNN.
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Aksel Erbahar
Dr. Aksel Erbahar is Associate Professor of Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam and a research fellow at the Tinbergen Institute, specializing in international trade and political economy with a focus on trade policy and global value chains. He has worked for the World Bank, the UK Trade Remedies Authority and the Asian Development Bank, and co-authored the World Bank’s Temporary Trade Barriers Database.
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Geert Maarse
Geert Maarse is a journalist and programme-maker. Having worked for Erasmus University for over five years, he is specialized in connecting scientific research to public debate. He has a background in Business Administration and Cultural Studies. He is the founder and regular host of Studio Erasmus, a monthly science magazine broadcasted by OPEN Rotterdam. He worked on a documentary and published in a number of online and offline media (de Volkskrant, Vers Beton, Erasmus Magazine).
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12.02.2026
Finitude Capitalism: Neoliberalism’s Predatory Turn
with Arnaud Orain & Caroline de Gruyter