At the June 2024 G7 summit in Italy, a short video of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greeting French President Emmanuel Macron with a cold look went viral. It came amid a disagreement over the summit statement, which dropped a direct reference to abortion that the previous year’s G7 text had included. Macron publicly regretted the change.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | 50th G7 summit |
| Dates | 13 to 15 June 2024 |
| Venue | Borgo Egnazia, Fasano, Apulia, Italy |
| Host | Italy, under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni |
| Point of dispute | Wording on abortion in the leaders’ statement |
The summit
Italy held the G7 presidency in 2024 and chose Borgo Egnazia, a resort in the southern region of Apulia, as the venue. The G7 brings together the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, with the European Union also taking part.
The summit’s main agenda included support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, migration, Africa and artificial intelligence. Several outreach leaders were invited, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Pope Francis became the first pope to address a G7 summit, speaking on artificial intelligence. Read more world stories in our Buzz section.
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The viral “death stare” clip
A short clip from the summit showed Macron arriving and greeting others before turning to Meloni. In the video, Meloni appears to give him a stern, unsmiling look before the two shake hands, after which she smiles briefly.
Social media users and several international outlets described it as a “death stare”. The moment drew attention because it came on the same day as reports of a disagreement between the two leaders over the summit’s final text. Body language clips can be misleading, and neither leader commented on the video itself.
The abortion wording dispute
The G7 leaders’ statement from the 2023 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, had included a reference to access to safe and legal abortion and post-abortion care. Reports during the 2024 summit said Italy, as host, had pushed for that word to be left out of the new text.
The final 2024 statement did not use the word “abortion”. Instead, it reaffirmed the leaders’ Hiroshima commitments to universal access to quality health services for women, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.
What Macron said
Macron told reporters at the summit that he regretted the change. He pointed out that France had recently made the freedom to have an abortion part of its constitution, and said Italy did not share the same sensitivities on the issue. He added that he respected the choice made by a sovereign people.
France had become the first country to explicitly protect abortion in its constitution in March 2024, after a joint session of Parliament approved the amendment by a large majority.
What Meloni said
Meloni rejected the idea that there had been a real dispute. She said the earlier commitments were reaffirmed, so there was no reason for the controversy. She also said it was wrong to use a forum as important as the G7 for election campaigning. This was widely read as a reference to Macron, who had called a snap parliamentary election in France just days before the summit.
Abortion law in Italy
Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978 under Law 194. Meloni, who leads the Brothers of Italy party and became the country’s first woman Prime Minister in October 2022, has said she will not change that law. Her government has, however, focused on family policy and Italy’s falling birth rate, and critics say it has made access harder in practice by backing anti-abortion groups’ presence at counselling centres.
What happened next
The row did not lead to any lasting break. The final statement was adopted by all G7 members, and the summit’s main outcomes, including a plan to use profits from frozen Russian assets to back a loan for Ukraine, went ahead.
In France, Macron’s snap election in June and July 2024 produced a hung parliament. Meloni and Macron continued to meet at European Union and G7 meetings, including the 2025 G7 summit hosted by Canada, and have worked together on issues such as Ukraine while differing on others. For more explainers on world events, see our Infotainment section.
Who the two leaders are
Giorgia Meloni has led Italy since October 2022 at the head of a right-wing coalition. She has positioned herself as a conservative on social issues while keeping close ties with the EU and strong support for Ukraine.
Emmanuel Macron has been President of France since 2017 and won a second term in 2022. Under the French constitution, he cannot seek a third consecutive term, and his current term runs until 2027.
Why the moment mattered
G7 statements are carefully negotiated, and changes in wording are watched closely as signals of policy direction. The episode showed how a hosting country can shape a joint text, and how domestic politics in member countries can spill into summit diplomacy. The viral clip simply gave a visual to a disagreement that was already being reported.
Frequently asked questions
Where was the 2024 G7 summit held?
It was held at Borgo Egnazia in Fasano, in Italy’s Apulia region, from 13 to 15 June 2024.
Why did Meloni and Macron clash at the G7?
They differed over whether the summit statement should mention abortion. The final text left the word out, which Macron said he regretted.
Is abortion legal in Italy?
Yes. Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978, and Meloni has said her government will not change the law.
Did India attend the 2024 G7 summit?
Yes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended as an outreach guest at Italy’s invitation.
Sources: Wikipedia: 50th G7 summit, Ministry of External Affairs, India, Wikipedia: Abortion in Italy.
