IMF bears criminal responsibility for Greece economic crisis: Tsipras
Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras has strongly criticized the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s policies toward his country, saying the international institution bears “criminal responsibility” for Greece’s debt crisis.
“The IMF has criminal responsibility for today’s situation,” Tsipras told members of his Syriza Party during a speech in parliament on Tuesday, referring to the consequences of the austerity measures demanded by the IMF and other international lenders from Greece.
The 40-year-old premier also urged Greece’s European creditors to review and assess the IMF’s policies, saying, “The time has come for the IMF’s proposals to be judged not just by us but especially by Europe.”
“Right now, what dominates is the IMF’s harsh views on tough measures, and Europe’s on denying any discussion over debt viability,” Tsipras said.
“The fixation on cuts... is most likely part of a political plan... to humiliate an entire people that has suffered in the past five years through no fault of its own,” he added.
Meanwhile, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis told the German newspaper Bild on Tuesday that debt-ridden Greece will present no new proposal to its international lenders at an upcoming Eurogroup meeting.
“The Eurogroup is not the right place to present proposals which haven’t been discussed and negotiated on a lower level before,” he said.
Eurozone finance ministers are scheduled to meet on June 18 in what many see as the final deadline to find a solution to the Greek debt crisis.
Greece and its international creditors have been in talks to reach a deal over Greece’s debt for months.
Greece’s international lenders – the European Central Bank (ECB), the IMF and the European Commission – refuse to pay Athens the remaining part of the debt-ridden country’s bailout program, saying that the country must first implement further economic reforms.
JR/KA/HJL
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