As markets slowly price in a longer-lasting disruption from the Middle East Conflict European governments are dusting off playbooks used in 2020 and 2022 to support households and firms through the current shock.

However, the key difference today is many countries lack the fiscal capacity to match the largesse of previous crises, with the notable exception of Ireland.

According to the OECD, in the median G20 economy, government gross debt has risen by close to 40% of GDP since 2007, immediately prior to the global financial crisis, with a significant chunk of this debt built up since 2020.  

Join Jane Kavanagh from AIB’s Corporate Treasury desk, AIB Chief Economist David McNamara, Donal Whelton, Head of Agriculture & Food Manufacturing with AIB Business Banking, and Patrick Higgins, Head of Consumer Research, Food & Beverage at Goodbody, for this edition of AIB Market Talk focusing on Ireland’s agriculture and food manufacturing sector.