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In bad faith

Debt relief must happen now—more than the IMF suggests—to prevent the need for even more debt relief later. This is as much in the creditors’ interest as it is in the Greeks'.

Published:
Christine Lagarde, IMF Director, 2013
Christine Lagarde, IMF Director, 2013

Christine Lagarde, IMF Director, 2013.Demotix/ Omar Franco Perez Reyes.All rights reserved.

On July 2, the IMF released its analysis of whether Greek debt was sustainable or not. The report said that Greek debt was not sustainable and deep debt relief along with substantial new financing were needed to stabilize Greece. In reaching this new assessment, the IMF stated it had learned many lessons. Among them: Greeks would not take adequate structural reforms to spur growth, they would not sell enough of their assets to repay their debt, and they were unable to undertake sufficient fiscal austerity.

That left no choice but to grant Greece greater debt relief and to provide new financing to tide Greece over till it could stand on its own feet. The relief, the IMF, says must be provided by European creditors while the IMF is repaid in whole.