The great world leaders had fun on Sunday to joke about the virile image willingly displayed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, wondering if they could take off their jackets, or even more, at the opening of the G7 summit in Germany.
“Do we keep the jackets? Do we take them off? asks British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he sits at the work table at Elmau Castle in Germany where Chancellor Olaf Scholz is hosting the leaders of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, from Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the European Union.
The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, then suggests waiting for the official photo to drop the jacket, but Boris Johnson launches: “we must show that we are stronger than Putin”. And the joke inspires others.
“We are going to be treated to the demonstration of bare-chested riding,” adds Mr. Trudeau, referring to a famous photo shoot of Vladimir Putin on horseback bare-chested in 2009.
AFP
“Horse riding is the best,” soberly replies Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission – the only woman in this meeting – without apparently commenting on the question of the clothing itself.
“We have to show them our pecs,” insists Boris Johnson.
It was finally in costume, having simply removed the ties, that the seven leaders took their place on the podium for the traditional family photo.