David Rennie

David Rennie joined The Economist in 2007 as European Union correspondent and Charlemagne columnist, based in Brussels. From July 2010 to July 2012 he was British political editor and author of the Bagehot column, based in London. In the summer of 2012 he moved to Washington DC to become Lexington columnist. Previously, he was on the foreign staff of the Daily Telegraph, with postings in Sydney (1998), Beijing (1998 to 2002), Washington DC (2002-05), and Brussels (2005-07). From 2006 until he joined The Economist, he was also a contributing editor of the Spectator magazine. He worked for the Daily Telegraph in London (1996-98), and the Evening Standard (1992-96). He has given classes and public lectures on EU affairs at the universities of Harvard and Boston in America, Bristol University in Britain and at the business schools ESCP (Paris) and IE (Madrid).

In recent years, Rennie has held significant positions at The Economist, serving as the Beijing Bureau Chief and Chaguan columnist, and later as the Washington Bureau Chief. Currently, he is the Geopolitics Editor and columnist, writing five different weekly columns, including two recent launches. With 27 years of experience as a foreign correspondent, he has reported from more than 50 countries and covered major global events including the U.S.-led war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, significant geopolitical developments such as President Xi Jinping's administration, and China's Belt and Road Initiative. He has written extensively about the economic and political influences of recent events on globalized, cost-driven supply chains and traveled over 150,000 miles across the U.S. to report on American politics and culture.

Rennie's contributions to journalism have been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2010 UACES/Thomson Reuters "Reporting Europe" award and the 2023 Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia, awarded by the Asia Society. He is also a frequent guest on radio and television, appearing on NPR’s 1A, CNN, BBC, PBS Newshour, and CBS's Face the Nation, and co-hosts The Economist's Drum Tower podcast with Alice Su. Rennie has spoken at various prestigious forums, providing insightful analyses on populism, U.S. politics during the Trump administration, and the broader U.S. economic and political development. His speeches are noted for their engaging style and deep insights into political economy and global trends.