G7 leaders expected to wrap up talks without traditional joint communique
Today, French President Emmanuel Macron will wrap up this year’s G7 Summit with a closing press conference.
Despite an ostensibly accommodating agenda focused on addressing inequality, defending democratic values and improving education, the summit has been riven by divisions. Over the past two days, leaders have sparred over a host of issues, including economic policies, Brexitl Russia’s involvement in the summit and climate change.
There will be no joint communique for the first time in the G7’s history after last year’s debacle, when US President Donald Trump left the summit early. Mr Trump’s attendance this year was still up in the air as recently as June, so Mr Macron will want to avoid upsetting anyone today and paint a positive picture of the summit.
However, with so many areas of disagreement, the French president could struggle to find anything notable to talk about. Mr Macron had originally hoped to mobilise the G7 to address fires in the Amazon and place pressure on the Brazilian government but has been unable to find consensus.
Even if Macron can avoid stepping on toes today, the inability to agree on anything could leave leaders, particularly Trump, questioning whether there is any point in attending future summits.
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