Meloni refutes claims of an abortion riot at the G7 summit

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her frustration over reports of a riot regarding abortion during the G7 summit in Italy. She vehemently denied any conflict over the issue, stating that there was nothing to argue about during a press conference.

During the summit, it was noted that the word “abortion” was conspicuously absent from a joint statement issued by the leaders of the seven wealthiest industrialized countries. A year earlier, these leaders had expressed support for “safe and legal” options for terminating pregnancies. This time, the statement confirmed their continued support for healthcare for women, without explicitly mentioning abortion.

Reports indicate that there was significant debate behind the scenes regarding this portion of the text. It was suggested that Prime Minister Meloni, a conservative hostess, opposed including the word “abortion.” US President Joe Biden reportedly pushed back against this decision, emphasizing the importance of abortion rights in the upcoming November elections.

In her closing press conference, Meloni downplayed the significance of the reports and emphasized that varying wording in official statements is common practice. She explained that referencing previous statements helps to avoid unnecessary repetition in texts. According to the Prime Minister, if agreement has already been reached on a particular issue, there is no need to repeat it verbatim.