If you missed the coverage of the recent G7 summit in Italy, you didn't miss much.
As expected, the usual commitments about protecting democracy globally were made.
Of course, no G7 summit would be complete without the customary "family photo" of leaders in attendance.
However, a close examination of this year’s photo reveals a club of deeply unpopular statesmen, most of whom remain out of touch with the citizens they’re supposed to represent.
This begs the question: Has the G7, as a political and economic forum, become irrelevant on the world stage?
Unfortunately, unless things change, the answer is a resounding "Yes!"
Of the seven leaders represented at this year’s summit (nine if you include the two leaders of the EU), most will be booted from office by the end of next year.
One such leader is Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the UK, who is set to lead his party, the Conservatives, to a historic defeat, marking his first and last general election as party leader.
Current polling puts their rivals, the Labour Party, with a majority of over 250 seats, possibly more, in Parliament.
Some polls suggest the Conservatives could even lose their official opposition status, relegating them to the UK’s third-largest party.
No wonder Sunak only enjoys a 29% approval rating from voters¾and that’s on a good day.
Then there’s Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada.
If federal elections were called today, Trudeau’s Liberals would be sent into opposition, with the rival Conservatives taking over.
Trudeau’s approval rating is about as low as Suank’s, hovering around the mid-30s.
And just last week, Trudeau’s Liberals suffered a major upset in a special election for a district the party held for over 30 years — certainly not a good sign for their future.
Things don’t improve much for Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, and his Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Although Germany is not set to call a federal election until late 2025, Scholz and his party will return to opposition if current polling holds.
Fumio Kishida, Japan's current prime minister, seems poised to join Scholz in being out of a job come 2025.
Recent polling puts Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) down 52 points to "no preference," with an election due before October next year.
President Joe Biden, America’s representative at the summit, rounds out this list of detached leaders.
With a disapproval rating of 59%, an all-time high that continues to climb, Biden currently trails former President Donald Trump in all the major swing states. And Biden might as well just hang up his hopes for a '24 win, especially in light of his distastrous debate performance last Friday.
If the betting markets are any indicator, Trump remains the clear favorite to return to power in November.
The only leaders likely to attend the next summit as heads of state are French President Emmanuel Macron, who just secured a second term in 2022, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, also elected in 2022. In the case of Macron, he now faces an uncertain political future.
Macron and his centrist political movement are on life support in France.
His Renaissance Party recently lost the EU parliamentary elections to the right-wing, populist National Rally party by nearly 20 points.
That same party is expected to become the largest in the French Parliament after legislative elections in the coming weeks.
Indeed, Meloni seemed to be the only leader at the summit who still enjoys voters' support in her home nation.
Her party, Brothers of Italy (FdI), came first in Italy’s EU elections.
Perhaps voters in Italy are rewarding Meloni for not being afraid to take tough stances on issues like immigration and for having the courage to confront EU bureaucrats on issues ranging from climate change to agricultural regulations.
Ultimately, the world is a better place with a strong G7.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that the G7 accounts for 44% of the world economy, which, while considerably diminished from 1973 when the body was founded, is still significant.
With Russia occupying parts of Ukraine long-term, China continuing to assert its dominance in the Indo-Pacific region, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the ongoing Israel-Hamas War, the world needs strong geopolitical institutions like the G7.
Yet, like it or not, the G7’s credibility on the global stage is inextricably linked to the legitimacy of its leaders.
When such leaders are seen as out of touch and unpopular in their own countries, their ability to advocate for democratic values on the world stage diminishes.
Today's global challenges require decisive and coordinated action from a united front of the world’s top economies.
The G7 can and should be that front, but only if it can reflect the will and interests of the people that comprise these nations.
That means more than holding summits and issuing sweeping, empty statements.
One can only hope the group’s new crop of leaders step up and align their policies with the needs of their citizens.
If they don’t, the G7 risks becoming a relic of the past.
Jacob Lane is a Republican strategist and school choice activist. He has worked for GOP campaigns at the federal, state and local levels, as well as with various PACs and nonprofits. Read Jacob Lane's Reports — More Here.
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