ABSTRACT
The previous chapters have provided a historical review of the G7/8 summit process and, in an attempt to untangle the “gaggle of Gs,” an explication of how it functions and relates to other fora, institutions, and organizations of global governance. This chapter shifts the focus to the member states that constitute the G7/8, their roles and behaviour, the degree of importance each accords to the summit process, and the domestic impact of summitry in each country. This discussion will follow the revised order of hosting the summit introduced from the 2003 Evian Summit onwards: France as the founding member; the US as both the only superpower to emerge from the Cold War’s end and “doubting Thomas” as regards multilateral projects; the UK with its split personality as member of Europe and supporter of the US; Russia as the “new kid on the block”; Germany as the powerhouse of Europe; Japan as the representative of Asia and bridge between East and West; Italy as the peripheral member; Canada as the “true believer” in multilateralism; and the EU as a full member on paper but permanent observer in practice. The chapter will conclude by exploring the position of possible future members, especially China’s shift from open hostility during the Cold War to more recent engagement with the G8.
