Italian PM Meloni gives Macron the ‘death stare’ after clash over G-7 statement

A video has gone viral showing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni none too pleased to shake hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during the G-7 summit in Italy.

Video footage from Friday shows Macron shaking hands with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter, Italy’s first lady Laura Mattarella, before arriving at Meloni.

As Macron heads down the line, Meloni can be seen giving Macron a frosty “death stare”. When the French leader arrives, she appears to force a smile as the two shake hands.

The exchange came after the two leaders clashed over the use of the word “abortion” in the G-7 statement. Meloni’s government tried to tone down references to abortion in the final statement issued by all G-7 nations at the end of the summit.

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The final statement, released Friday, omits the word “abortion” but refers to the need to promote “reproductive health and rights.”

Macron said he regretted the decision, telling an Italian reporter on Thursday: “It is not a view shared across the political spectrum.”

“I’m sorry, but I respect him because he was the sovereign choice of your people,” Macron said.

Meloni told reporters on Saturday that a suspected row with Macron had been blown out of proportion.

Meloni, who in 2022 became Italy’s first female prime minister, campaigned under the slogan “God, country and family”. She prioritized encouraging women to have children to reverse Italy’s demographic crisis.

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Italy legalized abortion in 1978, and Meloni has vowed not to overturn the law.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Meloni’s office for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.