Italy to Become World Leader by 2035 - Prime Minister

ROME (Sputnik) — Italian economical reforms will help the country dominate Europe and the world in 20-30 years, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said.

Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a Eurozone report, describing the economic situation in major EU countries, including Italy. According to the document, without a significant acceleration of the growth rate it will take Italy almost 20 years to reduce the unemployment rate to pre-crisis levels.

"No matter how the political discussion develops in the country, I believe that there's a bright future ahead of Italy. In 20-30 years, Italy will become a leader in Europe and the world," Renzi said on Tuesday at the annual conference of Italian ambassadors in Rome.

The prime minister added, that Italy's future depends on introducing various reforms at an intense level.

According to the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finances, the IMF's forecast failed to take into account structural reforms, that had already been initiated by the country's government.

Italy, along with several Southern European countries such as Portugal, Spain and Greece, was hit by the aftereffects of the 2007-2008 economic crisis, with its overall national debt estimated at some 130 percent of the country’s GDP, which is second only to Greece in the Eurozone.