Rishi Sunak Defends His G7 Performance Amid Speculation of Being Snubbed
Day One Without Bilateral Meetings
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced scrutiny after the first day of the G7 summit in Puglia, Italy, concluded without any formal bilateral meetings with his counterparts. Despite the lack of official one-on-one discussions, Sunak insisted he was not being snubbed by other leaders.
Awkward Encounter with Giorgia Meloni
Sunak's arrival at the summit was marked by an awkward moment with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of his closest international allies. Video footage showed Meloni appearing to recoil after their embrace, then sympathetically asking, “Are you OK?” This encounter drew attention given the contrast in their current political fortunes.
Shared Political Stances
Both Sunak and Meloni are known for their hardline stances on illegal migration, advocating for schemes to send asylum seekers abroad for processing. Meloni was a notable attendee at Sunak’s AI summit last year, and Sunak recently addressed a political festival organized by her Brothers of Italy party.
Political Context and Contrasting Fortunes
While Sunak’s Conservative party is trailing Labour by 20 points in opinion polls ahead of the upcoming general election, Meloni's Brothers of Italy recently won almost 29% of the vote in the European Parliament elections. This success has boosted Meloni’s profile at the G7, turning the summit into a victory lap for her. “Italy will present itself at the G7 and in Europe with the strongest government of all,” Meloni proclaimed.
Joint Instagram Post
In a show of continued solidarity, Meloni and Sunak shared an Instagram post emphasizing their shared values: “Freedom. Control of our borders. Defence of national sovereignty. That is what unites our politics. That is what unites our two countries.”
Brief Meeting with Zelenskiy
Sunak's notable interaction on the first day was a 10-minute conversation with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. At Sunak’s request, they walked through the summit's golf club grounds, discussing Ukraine at length before embracing and parting with well-wishes.
Informal Interactions
Sunak defended his networking efforts, stating that he engaged with several leaders informally, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “At meetings like this, you can do lots of meetings with people in the margins of things and that’s exactly what I have been doing,” Sunak explained.
Political Challenges Across the G7
Sunak is not alone in facing domestic political challenges. Macron has called a snap parliamentary election following poor performance in the EU elections, which saw a surge in support for the far-right National Rally party. Similarly, Germany experienced a strong showing for the far-right Alternative for Germany party in the EU elections.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden is gearing up for a tough re-election battle, with polls indicating a close race with Donald Trump. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are also grappling with declining personal ratings.
