23rd MEETING OF THE SPEAKERS OF THE LOWER HOUSES OF THE G7

Declaration[1]

1. We, the Speakers and Presidents of the lower houses of the G7 legislatures, along with the President of the European Parliament, met from September 4th to 6th, 2025, in Ottawa, Canada, and the surrounding region, to discuss global challenges confronting our countries. The themes of our meeting – online disinformation and the threat it poses to democratic processes, political polarization and its effects on legislative debates, and violence against legislators – reflect some of these global challenges

2. Our 23rd Meeting reaffirmed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a means of fostering exchange, dialogue, and collaboration. We condemn Russia’s continuing aggression against Ukraine and recognize Ukraine’s readiness for a just and lasting peace. We endorse the March 14, 2025, Joint Statement of the G7 Foreign Ministers, which reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity and right to exist, and its freedom, sovereignty and independence. We reiterate our commitment to deepening our cooperation on issues of shared importance, and to strengthening the interparliamentary dimension of the G7. This joint declaration summarizes the outcomes of our deliberations.

A. ADDRESSING ONLINE DISINFORMATION AND THE THREAT IT POSES TO DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES

3. We recognize that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), when coupled with the amplifying power of social media, has heightened the vulnerability of our voters to information manipulation and interference, including disinformation. Hostile actors and authoritarian regimes exploit these technologies to interfere in our democratic processes. At the same time, we acknowledge that these technologies bring immense benefits across many sectors, driving innovation, productivity, and social progress.

4. Accordingly, we discussed how our respective legislatures have acted – and might act going forward – to strike the right balance: protecting our democracies and citizens from the risks posed by AI-driven information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, while fostering responsible innovation and upholding fundamental rights, including freedom of expression. We reaffirm our shared commitment to open dialogue, mutual learning, and coordinated action, in the interest of safeguarding democratic institutions and public trust in the digital age.

B. LEGISLATURES IN A POLARIZED WORLD: FOSTERING RESPECTFUL DEBATE IN THE CHAMBER AND BEYOND

5. We recognize that more of our citizens, especially young voters, appear to be losing faith in democratic institutions and gravitating towards extreme ideological positions.

6. We are particularly concerned about the link between extreme polarization and support for political violence. Social media and other online platforms, driven by opaque algorithms, are contributing to both by amplifying polarizing content aimed at sowing discord, and by reducing access to a diversity of content, notably by filtering out opposing political viewpoints. We encourage governments, legislators, the private sector and civil society to work together to promote digital, media and information literacy, civil discourse, constructive democratic debate and to counter online foreign influence.

C. PROTECTING LEGISLATORS FROM ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE

7. We express grave concern over acts of violence against legislators. Legislators are exposed in two ways: as nationally elected officials with significant media visibility, and also because of their local presence, since they often have constituency offices. Internet and social media – tools that should be used for democratic engagement – have increasingly become vehicles for harassment and abuse targeting legislators and their private, family and professional lives.

8. We note that abuse against legislators, including online harassment and threats of violence, have profound consequences. These include deterring individuals from entering politics, driving legislators to leave public life, influencing how democratic work is carried out, and limiting the perspectives that are represented in legislatures. This behaviour is on the rise, and we condemn the troubling trend. We reaffirm our commitment to upholding the right of all individuals to participate fully and equally in public life.

9. Legislators must be able to fulfill their duties in environments free of violence and harassment, both within and beyond their legislatures. Strengthening the legislative framework to better prevent and punish violence against legislators is necessary. We are committed to doing our part to prevent and eliminate such behaviour.

Canada

The Honourable Francis Scarpaleggia
Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada

France

Her Excellency Yaël Braun-Pivet
President of the National Assembly of the French Republic

Germany

Her Excellency Julia Klöckner
President of the German Bundestag

Italy

His Excellency Lorenzo Fontana
President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic

Japan

His Excellency Fukushiro Nukaga
Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan
(in absentia)

United Kingdom

The Right Honourable Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom

United States of America

The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States of America

European Union

Her Excellency Roberta Metsola
President of the European Parliament