"The Key Factor Was Security, Not Scenery: Why Évian Was Chosen Over Paris for the G7 Summit"

Second G7 Summit in Évian After 2003
Security and Accessibility Ensured with Access Control and Proximity to Airport
20,000 Protesters Rally in Nearby Geneva; Clashes with Police

The decisive reason for selecting Évian-les-Bains, a resort town in southeastern France, as the venue for this year’s Group of Seven (G7) Summit was not its beautiful scenery, but security.

G7 Summit held in Evian-les-Bains, France. Photo by EPA Yonhap News.

On June 15 (local time), Yonhap News, citing the French daily Le Figaro, reported on the background behind French President Emmanuel Macron inviting G7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as leaders from invited countries such as South Korea, India, Brazil, Egypt, and Kenya, to Évian-les-Bains instead of the capital city of Paris.

The origin of the G7 Summit was informal dialogue. In 1975, then French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, who launched the G7 framework, sought to minimize entourages and foster direct, informal conversations among leaders. He invited then U.S. President Gerald Ford, then Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro, and others to the Château de Rambouillet, where they gathered by the fireplace for discussions.

However, as the meetings continued and media attention grew, host countries began competing to showcase picturesque national landscapes on global television broadcasts. Notable examples include the United States holding the second summit in 1976 in Puerto Rico, a Caribbean territory, and Italy convening the meetings in Venice in 1980 and 1987. In 1982, then French President François Mitterrand invited then U.S. President Ronald Reagan, then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and others to the golden halls of the Palace of Versailles.

This year’s G7 summit stage is Évian-les-Bains, France. It is a resort boasting a scenic view with the Alps foothills behind and Lake Geneva (Lake Léman) in front. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Past Threat from Osama bin Laden... Évian-les-Bains Deemed Ideal for Security and Accessibility

This year’s venue, Évian-les-Bains, is also a resort boasting scenic views, with the foothills of the Alps in the background and Lake Léman (Lake Geneva) stretching out in front. A G7 summit was previously held here in 2003 during the presidency of Jacques Chirac. According to John Kirton, a G7 summit expert at the University of Toronto, the top priority for selecting the venue at that time was not the scenery, but security.

At the 2001 G7 Summit in Genoa, Italy, violent clashes between anti-globalization protesters and police resulted in the death of a protester. Since then, host countries have started searching for venues where they could best restrict protester access.

Another risk factor was Osama bin Laden. Madeleine Koch, a colleague of Professor Kirton, pointed out, "Bin Laden had planned a terrorist attack targeting the Genoa summit, specifically aiming at then U.S. President George W. Bush." For this reason, in the summer of 2002, Canada, as the next host country, chose Kananaskis in the Rocky Mountains. Professor Kirton described it as "a place completely isolated deep in the Rockies, accessible by only a single road and relatively close to both Canadian and U.S. air force bases."

Évian-les-Bains, located on the lakeshore, is also considered ideal for both security and accessibility, as entry can be relatively easily controlled, there are hotels to accommodate foreign delegations, and the nearby Geneva International Airport in Switzerland provides convenient access.

On the 14th, one day before the G7 Summit, protesters in Geneva, Switzerland are dispersing after being hit by police tear gas. Photo by AP Yonhap News

20,000 Protesters Clash with Police on the Eve of the G7

Due to these security measures, G7 opposition protestors condemning the summit were pushed across the border to Geneva, Switzerland. It is reported that 12,000 police officers and soldiers were deployed around the border area between Évian-les-Bains and Geneva as a precaution.

According to AFP, on the afternoon of the 14th, one day before the opening of the summit, fierce protests broke out in Geneva, with tear gas and water cannons deployed. In downtown Geneva, home to the United Nations headquarters, 20,000 protesters chanting anti-G7 slogans clashed with police.

Initially, the protesters marched peacefully holding signs, but then expressed their resentment toward capitalism and great power centrism by throwing bricks and water bottles at police, setting fire to parked Tesla vehicles, and smashing windows at United Nations buildings. One protest participant told AFP, "The G7 is just a gathering of the rich," adding, "It once again highlights the gap between the rich and the poor."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.