I contend that in having both
federal and state-level officials attending the G7 international meetings, Europe is over-represented even as the E.U. itself is sidelined. At least this
was the case at the meeting in June, 2026 in the E.U. state of France. The
staying power of the seven countries comprising the Group could be considered
as antiquated, given the relevance and importance of the E.U. in international
relations. The very intractability of institutional arrangements (i.e.,
structures) even in the face of a changing political environment can thus be
viewed as problematic. By implication, the exclusion of the E.U. from the United
Nations international organization can be viewed as effectively relegating the
UN as a structurally-frozen “has been” by the 2020s.
The full essay is at "Europe."