The G7, a group of rich democracies that comprise Britain, France, Germany, the US, Italy, Japan and Canada, is exactly the kind of globalized gathering that Trump and his supporters loathe and is in itself almost a rebuke to his America First philosophy.
It is no secret that Trump prefers bilateral meetings where he can leverage superior US power, and he believes national sovereignty, not multilateral cooperation, is the foundation of international relations.
Trump’s G-7 temper tantrum in Canada
It is quite frequent for Trump to toss bitterness across the Atlantic, criticizing foreign leaders who have spent the past two-and-a-half years trying, usually unsuccessfully, to work out how to handle him. His behavior is a promise kept to voters who believe that the US friends have long taken advantage of its power and security guarantees.
Last month, for instance, he blasted Emmanuel Macron’s “foolishness” over a digital services tax that hit US companies and vowed to impose tariffs on French wine.
French President Emmanuel Macron has elected to decline the customary signing of an agreement by all the leaders at the end of the summit since Trump refused to sign the deal at the end of last year’s summit in Canada and left the gathering early.
The idea that he could repeat his tantrum and early departure at the last G7 summit in Canada last year cannot be ruled out, particularly after Trump´s shameless, erratic behavior and mood swings in the last few days.
The US economy is not in its strongest moment, however, it is still better off than most of the declining economies in the American Continent and Europe, so Trump is expected to boast about that. But recent divisive comments could cause some discomfort among the world leaders. The “buying Greenland” argument, the Denmark trip cancellation could disseminate some disharmony, as could Trump’s outspoken support of Brexit.
The G7 summit convenes this weekend in France, and all eyes, as usual, will be on?… Yes, you guessed right, all eyes, will be on Trump and the biggest question clouding this weekend’s G7 summit in France is whether the President of the United States will blow it up.
The Yucatan Times
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