#Winners and #Losers - G7 Debuts

The Week in Stop-Gap Presidents

Winner: Nigeria’s Yemi Osinbajo—Yemi Osinbajo is in his third stint as acting president while the actual president, Muhammadu Buhari, is on medical leave. This week, 36 state governors at the National Executive Committee sang his praises as a “system stabilizer.” #SteadyAsHeGoes

Loser: Brazil’s Michel Temer—you know the country is in bad shape when the interim president following the impeached president is facing calls for impeachment. #HeadedForTheExit

The Week in G7 Debuts

Winner: French President Emmanuel Macron—Macron studied the tape and met Trump pump for pump in the handshake seen ‘round the world. That’s a winner with the French public. For a man whose upstart party is facing parliamentary elections in less than a month, his debut on the international stage could not have gone better. #TalkToTheHand

Loser: Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni—the next round of elections ensures that this caretaker president probably won’t be back for next year’s party. Too bad that his one moment in the sun was eclipsed by bigger personalities. #InTheShadowOfTrump 

The Week in Gay Rights in Asia

Winner: Taiwan—Taiwan’s constitutional court ruled this week that same-sex marriage is legal according to the island’s civil code. The parliament has two years to change the civil code, but the court ruling paves the way for Taiwan to become the first place in Asia to legalize gay marriage. #OverTheRainbow

Loser: Indonesia—two gay men publicly caned in the Aceh province for the first time since gay intercourse was outlawed under Islamic law two years ago. #GoodVsMedieval 

Mr. Trump Goes to the Vatican

Winner: Pope Francis—author of the scowl that launched a thousand Internet memes. #IfThePopeDontLikeYou

Loser: Melania Trump—plenty is being made about Melania’s rather public refusal to take Trump’s hand. But she signed up for this, and as the First Lady of the US, she has an obligation to put her best foot (and hand) forward. #SheMadeHerBed

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Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group, foreign affairs columnist at TIME and Global Research Professor at New York University. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

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