G7 leaders photo duel exposes power play
All official photos show respective heads leading talks
Quebec City, June 10: The G7 summit was coming down to the wire. The leaders of the world’s richest democracies had promised a compromise statement despite their deep divisions on trade. However, one photograph seemed to capture the power games being played out at the event.
Donald Trump is seated amid a crowd of officials. Across a narrow table, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron are standing, holding copies of a draft text, arguing for their position. Five official photos presented five opposing stories.
The first view outsiders got of the scene was at 10.45 am when White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders released a photo inside the room.
In the US version, Trump is seen calm, leaning back confidently with a sarcastic air, his arms crossed in a rebuff to the other leaders, bent towards him pleadingly.
Ten minutes later, the French president’s office responded with a photo of an opposing angle showing Macron negotiating with his American counterpart. The other leaders have fixed him with their regard, apparently fascinated.
Merkel’s press team responded with a photo showing her dominant. It caught the imagination of the web, and the German version went viral all on social media.
Italian premier Giuseppe Conte’s version was relatively humble, as he was in the job for just three days. — Agencies