Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who took office in 2022, has been viewed as a pragmatic leader, willing to collaborate on major international issues despite her conservative background. However, during the recent Group of Seven summit held in southern Italy, Meloni asserted her nationalist camp’s values on family and reproductive rights, challenging the expectations of her flexibility in negotiations.
While the focus of the G7 summit was initially on critical topics like a loan for Ukraine and trade with China, Italy surprised diplomats by pushing to remove reference to “safe and legal abortion” in the final G7 statement. Additionally, Meloni aimed to dilute the language on vaccination funding, despite facing isolation on these stances. As the rotating president of the G7, Italy, under Meloni’s leadership, successfully led negotiations to reflect her conservative ideology in the summit’s declarations.
Meloni’s staunch opposition to abortion aligns with her Brothers of Italy party’s traditional family values platform. By taking a hardline stance on sensitive issues, she aimed to reassure her supporters and differentiate herself from progressive leaders. This move was seen as an effort to reaffirm her identity and maintain the core values of her party in the face of her prime ministerial responsibilities.
The removal of references to abortion in the G7 summit statement drew mixed reactions, with French President Emmanuel Macron expressing regret over the omission. However, Meloni defended Italy’s position by highlighting the G7’s continued support for abortion access through previous declarations, downplaying the controversy. The insistence on altering the language sparked discomfort among some international counterparts, with President Joe Biden objecting to the initial draft but ultimately supporting the final wording.
In a surprising move, Italy also sought to water down language on vaccination funding, opting for a reference to “regional vaccines manufacturing initiatives” rather than advocating for global health investments in vaccine manufacturing capacity. Despite not aligning with anti-vax sentiments, Meloni’s party’s skepticism towards vaccines was evident in their opposition to strict COVID regulations during the pandemic, reflecting a nuanced stance on vaccination policies.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni showcased her determination to uphold conservative values, particularly on contentious issues like abortion and vaccination, during the G7 summit. While her firm stance may have raised concerns and objections from some international leaders, Meloni’s commitment to her party’s principles and identity remained unwavering. The negotiations at the G7 demonstrated Meloni’s influence as a leader who is willing to assert her nationalist agenda on the global stage, even when facing opposition from more liberal counterparts.