Ambitious agenda marks G20 summit

The G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, takes place against the background of a rapidly changing global situation. For the host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the three key questions are: How Germany can ensure the G20 partners continue to promote free trade and reject protectionism? How to save the Paris climate change agreement? And how to strengthen multilateral institutions against a broad anti-globalization trend?

These are Herculean tasks and may be beyond one G20 leader. Merkel surprised many by questioning whether Europe could still rely on the United States after US President Donald Trump's visits to the European Union and NATO headquarters in Brussels, and Sicily (to attend the G7 summit). She said Europe would have to do more for its own security given Trump's ambivalence on NATO, rejection of the Paris climate change agreement and "America First" trade policy. Other European leaders, with the exception of British Prime Minister Theresa May, supported Merkel. But most other G20 countries are seeking their own bilateral trade deals with the US and there is unlikely to be a 19-1 situation at the two-day Hamburg summit that begins on Friday.

Merkel will, however, seek to coax the US back into the Paris climate agreement, for which she should have the support of most of the other G20 members. Even though she may not succeed, she has to make the effort, not least because climate change is a top priority for German voters, and Germany is set to go to the polls in September. Merkel will also seek agreement to strengthen the multilateral institutions but again this may run into opposition from the Trump administration.