The
Group of Seven summit in the Bavarian Alps starting Sunday is the first
time the leaders of some of the world’s biggest economies have sat down
together in person in a while. A fair bit has happened to talk about —
most notably Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the ensuing economic and
humanitarian fallout. And yet each G-7
leader comes to the meeting shadowed by challenges at home that will
filter into discussions about where next for Ukraine, what to do about
the price of gasoline, how to wean themselves off Russian oil, a global
food-security crisis. Oh, and are we really headed for a global
recession? Here’s a quick rundown of what they face: US President Joe Biden Comes
with: Arguably the trickiest timeline, with November’s midterm
elections looming and the prospect the Democrats lose control of
Congress. He is battling high energy prices and difficult issues including abortion rights and gun control. Needs to: Maintain a unified front on supporting Ukraine militarily to keep fighting. French President Emmanuel Macron Comes with: A chastening at home, his alliance having just lost its outright majority in parliament. Needs
to: Reassure others he’s on board on Ukraine after he floated the idea
whether President Volodymyr Zelenskiy should now negotiate with Moscow. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Comes with: Criticism he’s been wishy-washy in his support for Ukraine and too worried about the hit to his economy to shift quickly from Russian gas. Needs to: As host, keep the summit on an even keel and show some tangibles, which won’t be easy. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Comes with: A relatively high level of popularity, though support has slipped ahead of an upper house election. Needs
to: Be attuned to the views of other leaders across Asia as he
increasingly puts Japan in the cross-hairs of its bigger
neighbor, China. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Comes
with: Political chaos at home, having just survived a no-confidence
vote from his own lawmakers only to suffer two special election losses yesterday. A summer of strikes is disrupting travel, while the economy and the pound are in free fall. Needs to: Avoid domestic travails dominating his time at the summit and a fresh spat with Macron over Brexit. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi Comes with: A close eye on coalition troubles at home, which could make it harder for him to enact fiscal reforms. Needs to: Get traction on his big idea: a price cap on Russian oil. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Comes with: Like others, a pressing inflation problem (the highest since 1983). Needs to: Put Canada more clearly into the conversation on the bigger global issues. And of course there are the big names not taking part: Russia, booted out in 2014 for the annexation of Crimea. Also
missing is China, not a G-7 member and yet the world’s second-biggest
economy. How much global business can really be done without it? — Rosalind Mathieson
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