'I Stopped': Giorgia Meloni Reveals She Quit Smoking A Month Ago, Draws Praise From G7 Leaders

Published 16 June 2026 · politics

'I Stopped': Giorgia Meloni Reveals She Quit Smoking A Month Ago, Draws Praise From G7 Leaders Published By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 23:24 IST

'I Stopped': Giorgia Meloni Reveals She Quit Smoking A Month Ago, Draws Praise From G7 Leaders Published By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 23:24 IST The candid exchange offered a rare glimpse into the personal side of leaders usually seen debating wars, trade disputes and global security challenges. Rapid Read The conversation took a surprisingly personal turn when Meloni revealed that she had recently quit smoking. (Photo: X) As world leaders gathered in the French resort town of Evian on Tuesday to discuss two of the world’s most pressing crises — the conflict in West Asia and the Russia-Ukraine war — one conversation unexpectedly shifted from geopolitics to personal habits. Away from the formal meetings and policy discussions, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was seen chatting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday.

The conversation took a surprisingly personal turn when Meloni revealed that she had recently quit smoking. As the leaders exchanged remarks, Meloni casually mentioned that she needed some coffee. “And a cigarette?" Merz responded with a smile. “I stopped," Meloni replied. “You stopped? Bravo!" von der Leyen exclaimed. “One month ago," Meloni said, drawing praise from her fellow leaders. The conversation then shifted to others’ experiences with quitting smoking. Starmer turned to European Council President Antonio Costa and asked, “When did you stop?" “I stopped in 2005," Costa replied. “And that’s it? Never gone back?" Starmer asked. “Never went back," Costa said. “Twenty-one years ago." The candid exchange offered a rare glimpse into the personal side of leaders usually seen debating wars, trade disputes and global security challenges. The light-hearted moment came just hours after another friendly interaction involving Meloni.

Earlier in the day, the Italian Prime Minister greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and joked about their popularity online. “Nice to see you again. We are the most famous on Instagram," Meloni told PM Modi. Meloni was referring to PM Modi’s viral “Melodi Toffee" post, which amassed over 120 millions of views and more than 10 million likes on Instagram, turning the two leaders into an unlikely social media phenomenon. Also Read | From ‘Melodi Team’ To Melody Toffee: PM Modi-Meloni Moments That Set Social Media Abuzz | Videos While the G7 summit remained focused on conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, the informal conversations served as a reminder that even world leaders occasionally step away from geopolitics to talk about everyday challenges — including giving up cigarettes. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Saurabh Verma Senior Sub-editor Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Chief Sub-editor.