G7’s Last Breath: Is This Global Leadership Club Now Just a Museum?

Special Analytical Report by Pakistan Times Live

Islamabad: June 15, 2026

The annual G7 summit begins today in the beautiful French town of Évian-les-Bains, but this time the situation is far from usual. When the leaders of the world’s seven largest economies sit by the stunning lake from June 15 to 17, they will face a bitter question about their very existence: Is this club still relevant in today’s world?

At first glance, the G7 summit seems like an important event. This is the first time since the Iran war that all seven leaders are gathering in one place. But the preparations for this summit reveal all the flaws that are hollowing out this group from within. European allies, including Germany and France, have already expressed strong displeasure over US President Donald Trump’s Iran policy. They accuse the United States of not taking its allies into confidence before launching attacks on Iran, which has caused a clear rift within the group.

Internal Chaos: When Your Own Allies Are Untrustworthy

The biggest problem of the G7 is its lack of internal cohesion. France has taken over the presidency of this forum this year and aims to bury its internal differences. But this does not seem easy. France has shaped its agenda in such a way as not to anger US President Donald Trump, so that he does not walk out before the summit ends, as he did in Canada in 2025.

In fact, a new front of trade war has opened between the US and Europe. Trump has threatened to increase tariffs on the European Union, which has deeply worried France and Germany. Under these circumstances, agreeing on common regulations for future issues like artificial intelligence is nothing short of a dream.

Another important topic is Europe and America’s relationship with China. France is trying to improve its trade balance with China to save its economy and wants the G7 to play its role in this regard. But the United States takes a harder line on this issue and sees Europe’s softer approach as against its own interests.

These few examples show that the G7 summit may deepen differences rather than resolve them. Critics say that most members of the group are holding onto an unrealistic "Leader’s Illusion", while in reality they are incapable of making any major decision together.

The BRICS Challenge and the Rise of the Global South: Is an Alternative Emerging?

Perhaps an even greater threat to the G7 than its internal disarray is the alternative forces outside. While these seven countries are tangled in their own conflicts, the BRICS group has not only overtaken them economically but has also expanded its membership.

The statistics speak for themselves: G7 economies are barely growing at 1.1 percent, while the average growth rate of BRICS countries is over 4.4 percent. The group has also introduced an alternative payment system called 'BRICS Pay', reducing dependence on the dollar and the SWIFT system.

Understanding this situation, the G7 has this time invited several key BRICS countries to its summit. India, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, and South Korea have been specially invited to bring them into the fold. But these invitations are actually an admission of the fact that no global decision can be made without these countries. As experts say, today’s world can no longer be run by the consensus of just a Western club.

Analysis by Pakistan Times Live

This G7 summit could prove to be its last breath. The countries that once held the reins of the world are now crushed under their own weight. Trade wars between the US and Europe, discord over the Iran issue, and double standards in relations with China — these are the poisonous threads that are hollowing out this club from within.

On one hand, if the G7 fails to correct itself, it will mean that global leadership is no longer in the hands of any single group. On the other hand, the rising BRICS alliance and the emergence of developing economies are already indicating that a new multipolar system is taking shape. If the G7 does not truly reform itself, its relevance will further diminish in the coming years.

Pakistan Times Live is closely monitoring the situation.