A video showing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looking less than pleased as he shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during the G7 summit in Italy has gone viral.
A video clip from Friday showed Macron lining up to shake hands with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter, Italy’s first lady, Laura Mattarella, before arriving at Meloni.
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, listens to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a working session with world leaders during the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medicini)
As Macron makes his way through the queue, Meloni gives him a cold, “death-glare,” and when Macron arrives, Meloni appears to force a smile as the two shake hands.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni looks on as French President Emmanuel Macron looks on after shaking hands at the G7 summit. (Fox News Digital)
The exchange came after the two leaders clashed over the use of the word “abortion” in the G7 statement, with Meloni’s government seeking to water down any reference to abortion in the final statement issued by the G7 nations at the end of the summit.
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The final statement, released on Friday, removed the word “abortion” but mentioned the need to promote “reproductive health and rights.”
Macron told Italian journalists on Thursday he regretted the decision, saying “this is not a vision shared by all political sides.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke at the final G7 press conference in Borgo Egnazia, near Bari in southern Italy, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Andrew Medicini)
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s a sovereign choice of the people and I respect it,” Macron said.
Meloni told reporters on Saturday that the alleged conflict with Macron had been exaggerated.
Meloni, who became Italy’s first female prime minister in 2022, campaigned on the slogan “God, country and family” and has made encouraging women to have children a priority in an effort to reverse Italy’s demographic crisis.
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Italy legalized abortion in 1978 and Mr Meloni has pledged not to repeal the law.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Meloni’s office for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
