As G7 leaders gather in Apulia, Italy, many leave behind declining approval ratings in their home countries for the brief reprieve of what’s expected to be a busy itinerary of international decision-making.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is among the most unpopular G7 leaders, scraping by with a 28% approval rating.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently called a snap election due to the sweeping victory of right-wing parties during the European elections, has the lowest approval rating of all G7 leaders standing at a mere 24%. Macron is followed by U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with 25%. As for U.S. President Joe Biden, his approval ratings recently hit an all-time low of 37%.
Throughout the duration of the summit, which is expected to last until Jun. 15, Trudeau will be flanked by his more popular and often adversarial colleagues. Italian Prime Minister and G7 host Giorgia Meloni enjoys a modest 42% approval rating, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a 70% approval rating at home.
The summit kicked off on Thursday with the announcement of a $5 billion deal to seize Russian assets abroad for the Ukrainian war effort. It was Canada’s idea to appropriate Russian property in the first place, with Prime Minister Trudeau pitching the idea to his colleagues in February.
Yet things won’t likely be smooth sailing for Trudeau, who has to navigate tense relations with India over the arrests of four Indian nationals believed to be involved in the assassination of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
Modi’s government has denied any involvement in the killings, leading to a tense diplomatic row between the two administrations.
There’s also Trudeau’s habit of using the global summit to dig at Meloni and other Conservative politicians. During last year’s iteration of the G7 meeting in Japan, Trudeau took the opportunity to lecture the Italian prime minister on her country’s LGBTQ record.
Differences between the two leaders could rear their head again as Meloni pushes to remove mention of “safe and legal abortion” from the final statement to be put out by the Group of Seven at the summit’s completion.
With the meeting being hosted by Italy, G7 leaders can also expect the participation of Pope Francis who is expected to attend bilateral meetings with heads of state on Friday, including with Trudeau.
