Why abortion is being discussed at the G7 and what divides countries

The issue of abortion, and women's right to choose, has come into play in a G7 summit that until the eve of the summit had appeared to focus almost exclusively on wars and world crises: just a few lines of a document dozens of pages long, suddenly thrown to the attention of the chancelleries, and not only. In the draft final declaration of the Borgo Egnazia summit, in fact, the word 'abortion' is no longer there, replaced - in the sherpas' synthesis work - by a reference to the commitments already expressed at the G7 summit in Hiroshima a year ago for 'universal, adequate and sustainable access to health services for women, including reproductive rights'.

"I am sorry" that the word has disappeared, commented French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasising "different sensitivities" on the issue in the positions of Italy and France, with Paris, on the contrary, having included the right to abortion in the Constitution with a bipartisan vote. A stroke of the pen that did not go unnoticed even among the ranks of the opposition: "A national disgrace," called the Pd secretary Elly Schlein, exhorting Giorgia Meloni, "a female premier who does not defend other women," to "apologise to the country.

From the Apulian resort where the heads of state and government leaders are gathered, Italian sources went on to explain that in the text that will be published at the close of the proceedings "there is no step backwards" on the issue, "nothing has been taken away": simply, is the Italian presidency's version, "the word 'abortion' will not be found because it is implicit in the reference to the Hiroshima conclusions "which are therefore reconfirmed". "It is evident," they stressed, "that when you make a new statement you do not copy what was done the other time, but you try to put in the new things, the additional things".

In short, a case that would have been 'whipped up like cream', the sources added. "The suspicion is that there has been a bit of electoral, post-electoral exploitation, someone who perhaps wanted to insert a disturbing element in a G7 that seems to be going very well so far'. This is a not so veiled dig at Macron, who is struggling with his defeat at the European elections and the imminent and unexpected general elections at the end of the month. But the Elysée chief also took the opportunity of the lack of reference to abortion to send a message to the French on the "different sensitivities" in politics on the subject of rights: "France shares a vision of equality between men and women," but "it is not a vision shared by the entire political spectrum. I'm sorry but I respect it because it was the sovereign choice of your people,' he replied to Ansa with reference to Meloni's right-wing government.

Joe Biden also rallies around women's right to choose. "The fight goes on," assured the US president reached in Apulia by the Supreme Court's decision to maintain full access to the abortion pill, rejecting the attempt by anti-abortion groups. "Let me be clear: the Republicans' attacks on abortion drugs are part of their extreme and dangerous agenda to ban abortions nationwide," added Biden, who is also grappling with campaigning and challenging Donald Trump. he was in the White House when the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe vs Wade ruling that guaranteed abortion rights at the federal level. "Biden is not giving in on the rights, he will talk about it with PM Meloni" in today's bilateral, National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan also confirmed.