Matteo Renzi: 11 quotes on the future of Italy

Below are key quotes from Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s speech at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos. You can watch the session in full here.

“It is not very easy discussing the future. But it is absolutely an enthusiastic moment for our country. This is an incredible window of opportunity in Italy.”

“The role of politician must be – sieze the moment… This is exactly the moment in which we can choose the future, after a lot of difficulty.”

“The transformation of risks into opportunities is the quality of leadership.”

“Italy needs an incredible season of reforms… We started with a change of the labour market, with the fiscal system, tax reforms, civil justice.”

“I am not here to present a future of tomorrow. For my country, the future is today, not tomorrow.”

“We think the constitution is very important, it’s very beautiful, but we need a constitution for the future, not only for the past. And a new electoral system to give, finally… the possibility to choose a leader for five years.”

“If I think about the future of my country for my children, I don’t imagine describing Italy as a museum… I prefer the image of my country as an innovation lab. And for that we need a different idea of Europe.”

“We must also say very clearly, European direction is not the correct direction. I participated in the Brisbane summit of the G20 last November. Every continent, every country, spoke about the necessity to invest in growth… Eurozone spoke only about austerity.”

“Europe is not simply the euro. Europe is not simply a currency. Europe is first of all an idea that ensured 70 years of peace. Seventy-years of prosperity… Europe could be the place in which we can give a message of innovation in economics, in culture, in values and in ideals.”

“The European direction must stress the importance of growth and public and private investment, not only austerity.”

“The most important structural reform for Italy is credibility.”

Image: Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister of Italy, speaks at the Congress Centre during the Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 21, 2015. WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Michael Buholze