Wednesday, April 15, 2015

IMF warns Greek negotiations are 'not working' as Athens ramps up default threats

Officials at the International Monetary Fund have voiced doubts about the viability of Greece's membership of the eurozone as Athens has repeated its threat to default on its obligations.

According to reports in Greek media, Poul Thomsen, the IMF's Europe director told his executive board that negotiations were "not working" and he could not envisage a successful conclusion to the country's current bail-out.

The concerns come as voices in Athens have repeated threats to stop paying back their international creditors if no new bail-out cash is released.

A Greek official was quoted in the Financial Times saying: "We have come to the end of the road . . . If the Europeans won’t release bailout cash, there is no alternative [to a default]."

Mr Poulsen, who was part of the IMF delegation that met with Greece's finance minister earlier this month, also issued a warning about Greece's weak economic performance.

Greece avoided defaulting to the IMF last week, successfully paying back a €450m loan. However, the cash-strapped government faces another €200m payment on May 1 and another for €745m 11 days later.

The Leftist Athens government has also been forced to deny claims it was willing to hold a snap election to boost its ruling majority.

Greece's outspoken defence minister Panos Kammenos, who heads up the right-wing Independent Greeks party in coalition with Syriza, said the government had a mandate to rule.

"Even if elections take place, we will double our share of the vote," he told Greek TV. He added the government would not sign another austerity-dictating Memorandum should the current bail-out be completed in June.

Following its Easter bank holiday, Athens has now been given a provisional April 20 deadline to polish up a list of economic reforms it will need to implement before it can secure an injection of rescue cash.

Robert Kuenzel of Daiwa Capital markets said: "With the current reform list being based on largely untenable growth and revenue assumptions, Greece has only days to make a huge leap towards meeting official creditors’ expectations."

telegraph.co.uk

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