The Group of Seven (G7) gathered in Canada in 2025 for its annual summit, yet as has been the tradition since its inception in 1975, expectations for meaningful outcomes were minimal. Starting as the Group of Six (G6), then evolving to G7 and briefly G8 with the addition and later suspension of Russia, this consortium of wealthy democracies was originally conceived as a forum to coordinate economic and trade policies among the world’s largest economies. However, over nearly five decades, it has become little more than a stage for rhetorical declarations, offering limited solutions to the complex geopolitical and economic crises facing the world.

The G7 began with a narrow mandate focused on economic stability and collaboration among key industrial powers – the United States, France, West Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Canada joined shortly after in 1976, and post-Soviet Russia was included in 1997, briefly forming the G8. Yet as geopolitical tensions mounted, Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea led to its suspension and eventual permanent exclusion in 2017.

With this backdrop, the G7 today is less a group of economic heavyweights and more a loosely aligned bloc struggling to maintain relevance. The European Union and European Commission, without national sovereignty, now sit alongside the seven nations, adding layers of bureaucracy that seem to dilute rather than enhance decision-making. The original pragmatic purpose of the forum has given way to repetitive statements of principle, declarations of intent, and a ritualistic reaffirmation of shared values, rather than concrete action.

One of the most glaring issues with the G7 is its inherent inability to enforce decisions or hold members accountable. The annual summits end with communiques filled with lofty language but devoid of binding........

© Blitz