As the economist Mario Monti's new government takes office in Italy, much is at stake — for the country, for Europe and for the global economy.
If reforms falter, public finances collapse and anemic growth persists, Italy's commitment to the euro will diminish as the perceived costs of membership come to outweigh the benefits. And Italy's defection from the common currency — unlike that of smaller countries, like Greece — would threaten the eurozone to the core.
Italy is a large economy, with annual gross domestic product of more than $2 trillion. Its public debt is 120 percent of GDP, or roughly $2.4 trillion, which does not include the liabilities of a pension system in need of significant adjustments to reflect an aging population and increased longevity. As a result, Italy has become the world's third-largest sovereign-debt market.