G-7 Leaders Gather for Historic Family Photo With Pope Francis

The family photo

(Bloomberg) -- Few things capture the mood among world leaders better than a Group of Seven family photo. The simmering rage at perceived slights, the relegation of unpopular leaders to the back, smiles that seem a tad forced given all the problems left back home.

All this and more was revealed in the body language of presidents, prime ministers and — for the first time ever — a pope plopped center stage after being brought over in a golf cart.

One got an immediate sense of who is down and out, and who is on the up. Everyone may try and put on a brave face, but the grinning looked a tad forced for Emmanuel Macron and Rishi Sunak.

Joe Biden’s movements were being literally scrutinized by his conservative critics when his Republican rival is only three years younger (Donald Trump turned 78 on Friday, sharing a birthday with Germany’s Olaf Scholz).

For the UK leader this could well be his last G-7, given polls show he is likely to be voted out on July 4 (Independence Day for the US) before the NATO summit in Washington.

Macron will limp on — he’s president until 2027 — but he faces his own potential comeuppance at the hands of the French electorate soon. His colleagues were baffled at why he would call a snap legislative election he didn’t need to and his host, Giorgia Meloni, was irritated by his lateness for dinner.

This is her moment.

Not only is she — politically speaking — the leader on the firmest footing (having won big in recent European parliament elections) but she showed swagger: taking selfies while waiting for Biden, giving Macron a death stare, ducking away from Sunak’s enthusiastic greeting, and being very attentive to His Holiness.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was placed bang center stage early on — which kept him at arm’s length from Biden and Canada’s Justin Trudeau (given the furor around the assassination of a Sikh nationalist in North America).

But in a telling moment, Modi made the gesture and came down toward Biden to have a brief chat. He also later helped Pope Francis back into the golf cart he arrived in.

--With assistance from Ania Nussbaum, Ellen Milligan, Brian Platt, Jennifer Jacobs, Josh Wingrove, Annmarie Hordern, Alberto Nardelli, Donato Paolo Mancini, Chiara Albanese and Arne Delfs.

(Adds video in story link. An earlier version corrected to clarify pope arrived in a golf cart.)

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