Let's hear it for Silvio Berlusconi. A bargain basement Benny Hill he may be, but the prime minister fonder of cavorting with young women than keeping promises to the world's poorest countries has helped expose what a cynical shambles the G8 summit has become.
Officials say that this year's shindig in L'Aquila will be the most pointless ever – and, believe me, that is saying something. It is up to the host country to set the tone for the meeting, which involves preparing an agenda and chivvying the other, reluctant, members of the club to sign up to a high-minded initiative to eradicate poverty from Africa, tackle climate change and fight the good fight against protectionism by completing the Doha round of trade talks. The G8 commitment to these plans lasts as long as it takes the motorcade to hightail it back to the airport.
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