A recent interaction between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron is making waves on social media due to the apparent tension between the two leaders.

The video in question shows Meloni seemingly rolling her eyes at Macron, accompanied by a less-than-friendly handshake. This exchange occurred just hours after Meloni and Macron clashed over specific language concerning abortion rights, following the G7 leaders’ omission of direct references to abortion in their final communique, as reported by Reuters. The draft statement also faced criticism for allegedly weakening support for LGBTQ rights compared to the previous year’s declaration.

The abortion debate led to a diplomatic rift between Rome and Paris, with Meloni accusing Macron of attempting to gain political leverage ahead of a national election in France.

This isn’t the first time an eye-roll by a leader has captured public attention. Back in 2017, a moment between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel went viral when Merkel appeared to roll her eyes during their conversation. Putin, with one hand in his pocket and the other gesturing animatedly, seemed to be discussing a topic that failed to engage Merkel.

The G7 Summit

According to Reuters, the G7 draft statement maintained commitments to “universal access to adequate, affordable, and quality health services for women,” as promised during their summit in Hiroshima, Japan, last year. However, the 2023 communique omitted specific references to “access to safe and legal abortion and post-abortion care.”

Italy, holding the G7’s rotating presidency this year, stated that there was no need to repeat the language from the Hiroshima pledge, asserting that their commitment had been sufficiently reiterated.

FAQs

1. What caused the tension between Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron at the G7 Summit?

The tension arose from a disagreement over the language concerning abortion rights in the G7 communique. Meloni and Macron clashed over the inclusion of specific references to abortion, leading to a diplomatic spat.

2. How did the G7 leaders address women’s health services in their final statement?

The G7 leaders upheld their commitment to “universal access to adequate, affordable, and quality health services for women” but omitted specific references to safe and legal abortion and post-abortion care in their 2023 communique.

3. Has there been a similar viral moment involving world leaders before?

Yes, in 2017, a moment between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel went viral when Merkel appeared to roll her eyes during their conversation.

4. Why did Italy say there was no need to repeat the Hiroshima pledge language?

Italy, holding the G7 presidency, argued that the language did not need repetition as their commitment to women’s health services had already been adequately reiterated during the Hiroshima summit.

5. What was the reaction to the G7’s omission of specific references to abortion and LGBTQ rights?

The omission sparked accusations of weakening support for both abortion and LGBTQ rights compared to the previous year’s statement, leading to criticism from various quarters.