Biarritz (AFP)
The leaders of the G7 meet Saturday at the end of the day in Biarritz under the eyes of the world opinion that expects from them concrete solutions to crises shaking the planet: trade war, Iran or fires in the Amazon.
The fires of the immense Brazilian forest were imposed at the last minute as a key subject for the first day of the summit, as sometimes happens in major international events.
This ecological disaster will be on the agenda of the dinner that will gather in the lighthouse of Biarritz, around Basque specialties, leaders of the club of great liberal democracies: Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson, Giuseppe Conte, Shinzo Abe and Justin Trudeau.
"Concrete initiatives" to fight against these fires "could materialize" during the summit, announced Friday the French presidency, which asked to make of this "international crisis" a priority of the summit.
The talks may be delicate as Emmanuel Macron accused Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro of "lying" about his climate commitments and "inaction" in the face of the fires that have devastated the world's green lungs for days.
His critics can offend Donald Trump, of whom Jair Bolsonaro is a staunch supporter on the international stage.
Berlin has also expressed reluctance to the announcement that Paris would block the draft trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur, a topic that will be addressed during the tête-à-tête between Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron.
Previously, the French president will address at 13:00 on television to "explain the stakes" of the summit he wants "useful" for the population, according to the Elysee.
- Unpredictable Trump -
The thousands of diplomats and journalists present in Biarritz are waiting to see what the attitude of the unpredictable American president will be on the other issues of division.
Will he encourage the new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose qualities he praises, to favor a "hard Brexit" over a negotiated exit from the European Union? The head-to-head between the two leaders, willingly provocative, will certainly be one of the highlights of the summit.
The White House said Friday that Donald Trump was "very excited" to discuss with Boris Johnson the future free trade agreement between their two countries.
Debates are also brewing on the taxation of digital giants, the revival of the global economy or trade tensions between Beijing and Washington, after the imposition of new tariffs on both sides.
On Iran's nuclear issue, another thorny issue, Emmanuel Macron will inform his counterparts of the content of his meeting with the head of diplomacy Mohammad Javad Zarif, who judged, in an interview with AFP, encouraging the proposals of Paris to unblock the crisis.
Faced with this multitude of topics, the French organizers will try to advance substantive issues that will be the subject of special sessions: the fight against inequality, education in Africa or the protection of the oceans.
With the hope of leading to "concrete initiatives", shared with the invited leaders, such as the Indian Narendra Modi or six African heads of state.
- Opponents mobilized -
From the lounges of the Bellevue Center or the Hôtel du Palais, the executives will enjoy a breathtaking view of the wide beach of Biarritz completely emptied swimmers and surfers.
The center of the neighboring city of Bayonne is also deserted, but above all for fear of violence on the sidelines of meetings of anti-summit opponents, who could challenge the ban on demonstrations.
First clashes erupted Friday night in Urrugne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), where 17 people were arrested and placed in police custody, and four policemen slightly injured.
Anticapitalists and anti-globalization activists, to which will join Basque militants, also hope to gather 10,000 people to demonstrate Hendaye in Irun (Spain), six kilometers away, after their counter-summit.
"We will not tolerate any spillover and if they do, we will respond," warned Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, who deployed more than 13,000 police and gendarmes throughout the region.
The French authorities hope not to see on the screens of the whole world spread images of violence identical to those of previous international summits, like those of Hamburg or Genoa, a few months after the crisis of "yellow vests".
© 2019 AFP