G7, what's behind the Meloni-Macron clash on abortion

The agreement on Ukraine sanctioned in the presence of Volodymyr Zelensky, the agreement on Gaza and the US mediation proposal for a cease-fire, and today the arrival of Pope Francis - an absolute first - who will speak on artificial intelligence in the outreach session. There is certainly no shortage of headlines for this Italian-led G7, on which, however, there is also the (by now blatant) clash between Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron, the dross of which is destined to spread even on the last working day of the summit. Subject of contention: the recognition of the right to abortion, which had already animated the eve of the summit and which at first sources close to the Prime Minister had limited themselves to describing as "whipped cream".

But when yesterday it was the French president who gave substance to this creamy, the specific weight of the affair changed. "I am sorry" that the "word has disappeared", Macron said, returning to reiterate the thesis of whitening, which sources very close to the premier have always denied, and thus marking the distance with Rome. "There are different sensitivities," said the Elysée chief, recalling that France has included the right to abortion in its Constitution.

These were Macron's statements in one of the highlights of the day, immediately after the family photo with all the journalists crowded around the French president. At that point Meloni decided to react by delivering in turn no less harsh words to the press with which, after branding the controversy over the presence or absence of the word abortion as 'specious', she accused the French president of using the G7 showcase 'to campaign', referring to the imminent return to the polls in France but also to the heavy defeat suffered by the president on Sunday 9 June.

In fact, at Palazzo Chigi they are convinced that Macron is 'whipping up the cream' with the aim of triggering a reaction against his main adversary: Marine Le Pen. In other words, Macron is attacking the Italian premier in order to unleash a reaction against his real adversary, namely the leader of Rassemblement national. In between, however, there is also the question of who will be the next president of the EU commission. And if there is one person who has certainly not applauded the harsh back-and-forth between Rome and Paris, it is Ursula von der Leyen, outgoing president and candidate for an encore, who should be indicated by the European Council next 27-28 June. Today we will see if this distance is destined to deepen. Certainly the posture of the premier at the official dinner at the Swabian Castle in Brindisi on Macron's arrival does not bode well.