Good morning.
As a summer intern at the Toronto Star, covering the G7 Summit in 1988 was a revelation. Adults elbowed each other to get a glimpse of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, barriers kept out protesters, the turnover of Italian prime ministers was so swift that souvenir makers left a blank space for Ciriaco De Mita, whose two predecessors lasted less than a year. (De Mita made it 15 months.) Among the priorities then were trade, debt, monetary policy and urgent action on the environment.
It's a different day at the G7 summit in Italy this week, hosted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose party has roots in fascism, and populated with attendees who seem unlikely to fight for a chance to see a bunch of politicians struggling to stay in office. Europe started the week with news that pro-Palestine protesters had vandalized 20 Barclays banks in the U.K., and voters had increased the ranks of far-right politicians in the European Parliament.
