ST. PETERSBURG, June 17. /TASS/. Leaving the European Union would hit the United Kingdom hardest, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Friday.
"I am not so pessimistic about it as I think that British people will not leave the EU and will vote for remaining in the EU," Renzi said in an interview with TASS first deputy director general Mikhail Gusman
"I am an optimist. I think the British will stay but we’ll see," said Renzi who is taking part in the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg.
"If British people vote for Brexit, this will hit them hardest. Of course, this will be a problem but a small problem for the EU and a major problem for Great Britain," he added.
"The referendum is a serious issue but not so dramatic for Europe," the prime minister said.
On June 23, the United Kingdom will hold the EU referendum. The British voters will be offered to answer the question, "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?"