Reacting to the video, an X user by the name Gareth Dore commented, “The eyes say what we all think”.
Another user said, “Man…that face has no filter”.
The disagreement between Meloni and Macron dominated the Italian front pages, potentially overshadowing the summit’s focus on supporting Ukraine. Meloni’s office later denied reports that a reference to LGBTQ rights had been removed from the statement, calling such claims “baseless”.
The final copy of the statement expressed strong concern about the rollback of the rights of women, girls and LGBTQIA+ people around the world and strongly condemned all abuses and violations of their rights and freedoms.
Italian local media reported that Meloni objected to the phrase “safe and legal” abortion in the final statement, deeming it “profoundly wrong.” This issue led to a diplomatic dispute between Meloni and the liberal French President, whose relations were already strained due to their contrasting political ideologies.
When questioned by an Italian journalist at a G7 press conference, Macron highlighted the French parliament’s recent vote to enshrine the right to abortion in France’s constitution. Highlighting the different sensitivities in Italy, saying, “These are not the same sensitivities that there are in your country today… I regret that but I respect it, because it was the sovereign choice of your people”.
Later that evening, Meloni responded by pointing out that Macron was facing upcoming legislative elections and criticized him for using the G7 summit for “campaigning”.
The recent European elections saw a surge in support for far-right politicians, with Meloni’s party gaining significantly in Italy and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RM) party winning a majority in France, causing Macron to lose his majority.