Bari, Italy.
From big hugs to murderous looks, the leaders of the G7 They showed their similarities and differences during their annual summit in southern Italy, despite the unanimity of their official statements.
Images of leaders singing “Happy Birthday” to the German head of government Olaf Scholz at the request of President Joe Biden were the perfect example of the cooperation of the Group of Seven.
The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelensky was also invited to the meeting in the southern region of Apulia, where they announced a new loan of $50 billion to the country at war, confirming their support for its fight against the Russian invasion.
At the bilateral level, the welcome hug between the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, host of the summit, and the British Rishi Sunak was so enthusiastic that it went viral.
“Giorgia is fantastic,” Sunak told reporters on Friday, highlighting their cooperation on migration and defense issues.
But there was no such harmony between Meloni and the Frenchman Emmanuel Macron, who have a tense relationship and have opposing positions over the right to abortion.
Macron lamented the state of access to abortion in Italy, which led Meloni to accuse him of using the G7 summit for his electoral campaign before the anticipated legislative elections scheduled in France in a few weeks.
– Hugs to the dad –
Italians were also irritated that France rushed to announce the Ukraine deal before it was sealed, diplomatic sources said.
When Macron arrived at a formal dinner on Thursday night, Meloni was filmed giving him a murderous look.
- Biden, 81, did not attend the dinner and his advisors explained that he has a tight agenda, although Italian media claim that the Democratic president was tired.
Biden’s health is a central issue in the campaign in the November elections, although his Republican rival, Donald Trump, turned 78 years old this Friday.
The media filmed Biden distancing himself from other leaders apparently disoriented in images that went around the world.
The pope was also a protagonist at the summit, where he went to talk about artificial intelligence.
He arrived by helicopter and He asked Meloni how she was. “Still alive,” he joked. “Well, there are two of us now,” responded the 87-year-old Argentine pontiff.
He later even shared his popemobile with the Italian prime minister. where they traveled together to take a group photo.
The Argentine president Javier Milei, who had criticized Francisco very harshly, He approached his wheelchair to give him a big hug, just like the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, did.
And Meloni too He once again showed his good harmony with Milei, with whom he had a bilateral meeting. “You have made an incredible trip to be here,” he told her in perfect Spanish upon receiving him.
