In this interview, Philippa Sigl-Glöckner outlines her professional trajectory, the work she undertakes with her think tank, Dezernat Zukunft, and critical perspectives on macroeconomic governance, focusing on the European Union and Germany. She discusses the often-unacknowledged flexibility inherent in seemingly strict fiscal rules like the debt brake and the Stability and Growth Pact. While she highlights that it is problematic to anchor dominant economic theory in the constitution, she believes in the necessity of fiscal rules. In her opinion, it is, in fact, first and foremost in political discourse that these rules are shaped and interpreted in an excessively restrictive manner. To make this point, the interviewee delves into the historical development of fiscal rules, discussing both Germany and the European Union as well as the recent changes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While her work has made her acutely aware of the challenges of achieving meaningful reform, Philippa emphasises the need for greater democratic legitimacy and a more nuanced understanding of the normative implications of fiscal policy for broader societal goals.