Paris : The Speaker of the House of Commons joined parliamentary leaders from the G7 nations in Paris for this year’s G7 Speakers’ Summit.
Hosted by the President of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, the gathering brought together parliamentary leaders from the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and Ukraine.
The annual summit provides an opportunity for parliamentary leaders to discuss the challenges facing democracies and the role parliaments play in responding to them. Discussions focused on strengthening democratic institutions, improving transparency and trust, and addressing global issues.
During the three-day event, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons, took part in a series of high-level discussions covering topics including public engagement in democracy, the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI), and the role of parliaments in foreign and defence policy.
Speaker Hoyle also delivered a keynote speech on building an open parliament and strengthening citizen trust and participation. He was joined by Lorenzo Fontana, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy, and Francis Scarpaleggia, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada.
Sir Lindsay told the summit: ‘We can’t simply expect citizens to understand democracy by observing it from the outside. We have to be open and explain how decisions are made, create genuine opportunities for people to participate, and show that when people engage and participate, we are listening.’
He added that ‘parliaments must continue to evolve and innovate to remain open, transparent, and trusted’.
He also stressed the importance of engaging young people and ensuring parliaments remain ‘visible, understandable, and accessible to the public’.
The summit ended with a joint communiqué from the G7 Speakers, underlining the importance of international cooperation between parliaments and a shared commitment to supporting and strengthening democracy.
View the joint communiqué (pdf, 205KB)from the 2026 G7 Speakers’ Summit, Paris – France.
