The recent G-7 summit in Italy saw leaders from seven major democracies, including the United States, come together to address global issues despite facing significant domestic political challenges. Over the weekend, President Joe Biden and his counterparts agreed on a $50 billion loan package for Ukraine, using assets frozen from Russia, as a central achievement of the summit.
The leaders also discussed potential sanctions against China due to its support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict and proposed a new approach to managing the global refugee crisis. This proposal was led by Italy, the main European destination for migrants from Africa.
Francesco Galietti, co-founder of the Rome-based consultancy Policy Sonar, noted that the G-7 leaders showed a united front despite their domestic issues, which include low approval ratings and electoral challenges for leaders like France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, and Japan’s Fumio Kishida. Even Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the U.K.’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak face significant political hurdles.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the only G-7 leader with an approval rating above 40%, pushed for discussions on limiting migration and improving economic conditions in poorer countries to reduce emigration. She also emphasized the need for international regulations on artificial intelligence, with Pope Francis attending the summit to support this agenda. The pope stressed the importance of preserving human decision-making capabilities in the face of advancing AI technology. Although an AI framework was supported, detailed decisions were postponed to next year’s summit in Canada.
Meloni managed to exclude references to abortion rights from the summit’s final communique, reportedly over objections from Biden and Macron. Analysts believe this was necessary to secure the pope’s participation.
The G-7 leaders also acknowledged the need to address China’s trade practices and influence but did not agree on specific measures. Similarly, the summit did not result in significant new actions regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict beyond endorsing Biden’s ceasefire plan.
This summit underscored the complexity of balancing international cooperation with domestic political pressures. The leaders’ ability to reach consensus on critical issues like Ukraine aid and migration policy reflects their commitment to addressing global challenges collectively.
