As leaders gather for the 2026 G7 Summit, debates surrounding international cooperation, strategic competition, and the future of global governance have once again moved to the forefront of international affairs. Beyond the immediate headlines lies a broader question: what role does the G7 continue to play in an increasingly fragmented international system?
To explore this question, the Geneva School of Diplomacy spoke with David A. Merkel, Faculty Member at GSD, Professor of Practice in International Studies at the College of Charleston, and former official at the United States Department of State, the National Security Council, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Drawing on decades of experience across diplomacy, government, academia, and international political economy, he shares his reflections on the continued relevance of the G7 and the challenges shaping the international order today.
Is the G7 Still Relevant?
Critics often portray the G7 as a relic of a bygone era. Yet while the distribution of global power has changed dramatically since the group’s formation in the 1970s, its significance remains considerable.
“The G7 continues to bring together many of the states that shape global economic, financial, and security architecture,” Merkel explains. Collectively, these countries account for approximately 40 percent of global GDP, possess substantial technological and military capabilities, and remain central actors within the institutions and alliances underpinning the international order.
Beyond economic output, Merkel argues that the G7’s importance lies in coordination among leading democratic powers in an increasingly fragmented world.
“Whether addressing economic coercion, technological competition, supply chain resilience, energy security, or regional conflict, the G7 provides a forum to align policy and coordinate action.”
Although the rise of emerging powers has reduced the group’s relative weight, Merkel cautions against equating decline with irrelevance.
“In a more competitive and fractured environment, the ability to forge consensus among major democracies is more valuable, not less. The G7’s relevance lies not in representing the entire world, but in shaping how much of it responds to shared challenges.”
Ukraine and the Importance of Strategic Unity
When asked which current issue most requires diplomatic engagement, Merkel points to the war in Ukraine and the importance of sustained strategic unity.
“The most important contribution the G7 can make to the war in Ukraine is to sustain and demonstrate strategic unity,” he writes.
According to Merkel, Moscow’s expectations are shaped not only by battlefield developments but by perceptions of Western cohesion and political endurance.
“At its core, the war is a contest of expectations as much as capabilities.”
Through sanctions coordination, economic support, and diplomatic alignment, the G7 influences not only material outcomes but also strategic calculations regarding the conflict’s duration and trajectory.
“In wars of attrition, perceptions of endurance are as consequential as battlefield outcomes.”
The Future of the G7
Looking ahead, Merkel believes the principal challenge facing the G7 is balancing legitimacy with effectiveness.
As economic power becomes increasingly dispersed and emerging economies gain influence, questions surrounding membership and representation continue to grow.
Countries such as India, South Korea, and Brazil already play important roles in global economic governance and frequently participate in G7 discussions. More formal inclusion, Merkel notes, would better reflect the realities of the contemporary international system.
Yet expansion alone is not the answer.
“The G7’s influence derives not from formal authority but from its ability to build consensus and translate it into coordinated action.”
Its future therefore depends less on expansion than on adaptation.
“The central challenge is not choosing between legitimacy and effectiveness, but preserving both.”
As the international order continues to evolve, Merkel’s reflections serve as a reminder that diplomacy remains not only relevant, but essential in navigating the complexities of today’s world.
