G20 in Rome: a doomed summit?

Audio 02:31

The G20 summit opens in a difficult and particular context.

(Illustrative image) © AP / Carolyn Kaster

By: Bruno Daroux Follow

2 min

This weekend Rome hosts the summit of the G20, the group of the 20 richest economies on the planet.

What are the challenges of this G20? 

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We can say that it is a G20 summit which opens in a difficult and particular context.

Particular context, of course, because of the Covid-19 pandemic: this will be the first time in two years that the heads of state and government of the 19 countries, plus the delegation of the European Union that make up the G20, will meet face-to-face.

But not everyone will be there. 

Difficult context then because of the current tensions on the international scene, in particular the cold war atmosphere which reigns between China and the United States, in particular concerning Taiwan.

Suddenly, two important figures of the G20 club will be absent: Russian President Vladimir Putin and even more Chinese leader XI Jinping. 

► To read also: G20 summit: the climate on the program, but also and always the Covid-19

China's absence will weigh heavily

XI Jinping and his entourage have not given an official reason for his absence - it is just pointed out that the resurgence of the Covid-19 epidemic in the country may justify President XI giving it his full attention.

But by staying in Beijing, he takes the risk of appearing isolated and on the defensive - he who nevertheless claims to dispute the Americans for world leadership. 

This absence could have two reasons: first, on the climate, the Chinese may not want to commit to a carbon neutrality objective in 2050, and not in 2060 as they are displaying it today.

This subject will be one of the challenges of the G20 and even more of the COP26.

Then, even if the issue is not on the official agenda of the G20, XI Jinping probably does not want to immediately face the criticism of his peers concerning Taiwan. 

What to expect from the G20

There is certainly in Rome

.

But overall, there will undoubtedly be no major progress on the three themes on the agenda: the climate, the Covid-19 pandemic and the revival of the world economy after the health crisis.

We can still hope for firmer commitments on the climate, on the deployment of anti-Covid-19 vaccines in particular in Africa and Asia, and finally on the international taxation of digital giants.

See you on Sunday evening at the end of a G20 which promises to be complicated. 

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