Improving Brown's domestic political prospects?
The world's leaders are still closeted behind closed doors in East London but it is already possible to see the shape of the communique Gordon Brown will hail as a triumph later this afternoon.
There will be no new co-ordinated fiscal stimulus but much emphasis on the $2 trillion the has already pumped into the global economy.
A form of words will be agreed calling for more international oversight of financial institutions. The Americans and the British will emphasise "oversight", which is not the same as "regulation" and the French and Germans will hail it as the basis of a new global financial architecture, allowing President Sarkozy to preen rather than walk out.
The IMF will have an extra $500 billion to bail out struggling economies. Much of it will be needed to stop Eastern Europe going into meltdown. There is no surprise in this announcement: it was agreed by the G20 finance ministers several weeks ago but kept up their sleeves lest the Summit should go badly.
The more you hear about the IMF's new loot, the less the leaders have agreed about other things.
Stern words about tax havens (though whether they are ever translated into stern action is another matter).
. Mr Brown will look pleased with his handiwork and hope it improves his domestic political prospects. Critics and cynics (not always the same people) will wonder aloud if it will make much difference to the global economy, which is set for a dire 2009 and a modest upturn at best in 2010.
And will quickly get back to normal. Perhaps by the weekend it will seem as if the G20 never happened.
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