The France G7 Presidency officially began on January 1, 2026, as France took over the leadership of the G7 (Group of Seven) from Canada. France will lead the group throughout the year, organizing key meetings, including a major summit in Évian to define priorities related to global challenges.
Key Priorities of the Presidency
President Emmanuel Macron has defined the main goal of the presidency as returning the G7 to its «original calling»—a forum for dialogue among the largest economies aimed at eliminating global imbalances.
Under French leadership, key global issues, ranging from security and economics to climate change, will be discussed:
☛ Economic stability and reforms: Combating excessive debt, lack of investment in developing countries, and “predatory competition.” France intends to initiate a reform of the architecture of international development finance.
☛ Inclusive dialogue and geopolitics: Macron seeks to prevent the G7 from turning into a closed “anti-China club” or becoming a direct opposition to BRICS. The possibility of inviting leaders of other countries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to the summit is being considered.
☛ Technology and AI: Managing the risks and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence and quantum computing, as well as addressing issues of data ownership and digital regulation.
☛ Climate and environment: Promoting climate action, protecting forests and oceans, and accelerating the energy transition.
☛ Healthcare: Strengthening global health security, combating antibiotic resistance, and supporting the sovereignty of developing countries in drug production.
☛ Security and trade: Coordinating aid to Ukraine, responding to China’s economic influence, and adapting to the new US trade policy.
June Summit Details for the France G7 Presidency
The main event — the 52nd summit of the G7 leaders — is scheduled for June 14–16, 2026, in the resort town of Évian-les-Bains.
☛ The informal club of G7 leaders (originally G6) was established in 1975 on the initiative of French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
☛ The first G6 summit took place at the Château de Rambouillet in France, gathering the leaders of six major industrialized countries (France, the US, the UK, West Germany, Italy, Japan) to address economic problems. The main topic of that summit was the instability of the world economy following the 1973 oil shock and the search for ways to recover.
☛ Canada joined the group in 1976, forming the “Group of Seven.”
☛ Representatives of the European Commission began participating in G7 summits (then G6) starting in 1977. In 1981, the EU became a permanent participant in the summits, though not as a sovereign country. The EU holds a unique status as it represents a supranational organization rather than a nation-state, and its representatives (the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission) do not change in accordance with the rotation of country presidencies.
