Pope Francis has reportedly said that Europe “must become a federal community or it will no longer count for anything in the world”.

His comments were apparently made in an interview with Eugenio Scalfari, the 93-year-old La Repubblica journalist who does not record interviews or take notes.

Scalfari writes that he told Pope Francis that Europe must become a federal state if it is to deal with the ongoing migrant crisis, to which the Pope responded, "True, I have repeatedly raised this."

Pope Francis then continued, "The countries will act if they recognise one truth: either Europe becomes a federal community or it will no longer count for anything in the world."

The Pope’s remarks came ahead of a G20 summit in Germany.