Key Takeaways
- The 2026 G7 Summit will be held in Évian‑les‑Bains, France, marking France’s presidency after Canada handed over the role.
- French leadership wants to revive the G7’s original spirit of dialogue, focusing on foreign affairs, development, trade, finance, the digital sector, the environment, and home affairs.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged middle powers to “act together” in a shifting global order where great‑power rivalry dominates.
- Middle powers—states with significant diplomatic, economic, and sometimes military clout but without a permanent UN Security Council seat—are seen as vital stabilizers and bridge‑builders between the G7 and the broader international community.
- Research shows the nominal‑GDP gap between great and middle powers is narrowing, giving countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, the Gulf states, and South Korea greater leverage through resource control and flexible coalition‑building.
- Analysts propose that like‑middle powers could form an “M10” grouping to advance norms on sustainability, equality, and other shared values.
- Past G7 presidencies have already invited a range of middle powers (Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the UAE, and Ukraine) to participate in summit discussions.
- The 2026 summit could become a defining moment for middle powers to shape a more cooperative, resilient global order if they align on trade, development, supply chains, digital governance, and related issues.
Host and Presidency Context
The 2026 G7 Summit will convene in the picturesque French town of Évian‑les‑Bains, following Canada’s handover of the G7 Presidency to France. This transition came shortly after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, warning that the international system is moving from cooperation and competition into a space of confrontation where strength and domination are pursued through power struggles. Carney’s remarks set the tone for France’s presidency, emphasizing that middle powers must unite to counteract this trend and help rebuild a more cooperative global architecture.
France’s Vision for the G7
France intends to use its presidency to rekindle the “original spirit” of the G7—a forum where major powers engage in dialogue to address pressing economic challenges. The French agenda is organized around seven thematic pillars: foreign affairs, development, trade, finance, the digital sector, the environment, and home affairs. By structuring work along these lines, France hopes to foster comprehensive discussions that can translate into concrete actions on global stability, economic fairness, and technological inclusion.
Agenda Topics
Under these pillars, the summit will tackle a series of specific issues. Leaders will seek to resolve major geopolitical crises that threaten peace and security. They will also strive to establish a shared understanding of the roots of excessive macro‑economic imbalances that hinder sustainable growth. Reforming the international solidarity system to create fairer and more effective global partnerships is another priority, alongside efforts to secure resilient value chains. The digital agenda aims to develop reliable, accessible digital tools for all, while combating illicit financial flows and organized crime remains a cross‑cutting concern. Working groups will meet throughout the year to prepare groundwork for these discussions.
Defining Middle Powers
There is no universally accepted definition of a “middle power,” but scholars generally describe them as states possessing substantial diplomatic, economic, multilateral, and sometimes military influence, yet lacking a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (held by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States). This group includes Global North countries such as Australia, Canada, and South Korea, as well as Global South nations like Argentina, Brazil, and Indonesia. Their distinct position allows them to act as interlocutors between the great powers and the broader international community.
Why Middle Powers Matter
Analysts from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argue that middle powers can help stabilize the global order and advance cooperation both within formal institutions like the UN and through issue‑specific coalitions. Their ability to convene diverse actors, offer credible mediation, and champion norms that reflect a wider set of interests makes them valuable partners in an era of great‑power rivalry. By aligning their policies, middle powers can fill gaps left when the dominant powers pursue competing agendas.
Economic Leverage of Middle Powers
Recent research from the Institute for Economics & Peace highlights that the average nominal‑GDP gap between great and middle powers has shrunk considerably. Countries such as the Gulf states, Brazil, Indonesia, and others are gaining significant leverage through rising economic output, control of critical resources, and adept coalition‑building. This narrowing gap translates into greater bargaining power in international negotiations, enabling middle powers to shape outcomes on trade, climate, and security matters that were once dominated solely by the largest economies.
Strategic Coalitions and the M10 Idea
The evolving landscape suggests that cooperation will increasingly arise from overlapping coalitions of shared values and interests rather than a single universal consensus. Robert Muggah of the Igarapé Institute notes that states previously marginalized by the old order now possess the weight to demand a larger role in shaping future norms. One proposal gaining traction is the formation of an “M10” group—like‑minded middle powers that could collaborate on issues such as sustainability, equality, and digital governance, thereby amplifying their collective impact on global agenda‑setting.
Middle Powers at the G7 Summit
Although the G7 comprises only seven member states, recent presidencies have routinely invited a broader set of middle powers to engage in summit discussions. During Canada’s 2025 presidency, for example, Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine were all brought into the dialogue. France’s stated intention to widen participation signals that middle powers will have a formal venue to voice their perspectives on trade, development, supply chains, digital governance, and related topics, effectively bridging the G7’s deliberations with the concerns of the wider world.
Outlook and Implications
As the international order faces increasing uncertainty, the 2026 G7 Summit in Évian‑les‑Bains could serve as a defining moment for middle powers. If they heed Carney’s call to act together and leverage their growing economic and diplomatic clout, they have the potential to steer the G7 toward more inclusive, resilient outcomes. Success will depend on their ability to find common ground across issues such as climate action, equitable trade, secure digital infrastructure, and illicit‑flow prevention. Should they manage to align, middle powers may not replace the great powers, but they will undoubtedly matter more than before in shaping the trajectory of global affairs.