ALBAWABA - The G7 Leaders' Summit in Italy has been characterized by rising tempers between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron after a row on abortion.
According to reports in the Italian media, the argument broke out at the last minute over whether or not to include the issue of abortion in the summit's final communiqué.
This now left the word "abortion" expunged from the draft under Italian pressure, according to Macron. In comments after the first day's sessions, he told the French press that he regretted it.
A bellicose Meloni immediately reacted and accused Macron of using the issues at stake as an electioneering tool.
She said it was futile to create controversy over issues already agreed upon. "Making election campaigns with this G7 platform, above all at this moment, is not done," said Meloni.
Italian sources confirmed to the press, however, that Italy held its position to have the mention of abortion inserted in the statement at last year's G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
Though there was a public disagreement, reports said that the two leaders could cool down the conflicts during the dinner with Italian President Sergio Mattarella for G7 leaders.
On the first day of the summit, it became obvious that the primary fight was between G7 nations about their argument over abortion rather than dealing with Ukraine or Gaza.
France and Canada are among the countries that most insistently defended the need to guarantee the right to access abortion in the final declaration of the summit. At the same time, Italy preferred to let the issue remain at the negotiating table—an indicator of an ongoing debate.
The source said France and Canada stand firm in having rights reflected in the host country, while Italy preferred to maintain a low profile on the same issues.
