2015-05-25 18:14:00

Greece hints it could miss next IMF payment


(Vatican Radio) Warnings intensified in Athens regarding whether Greece could pay its next scheduled repayment to the International Monetary Fund on 5 June.  The amount is in the region of 350 million Euros.

Click below to listen to correspondent John Carr’s report:

The warnings, coming from senior figures in the ruling leftwing Syriza party, are a counterpoint to the optimism issuing from the government itself. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said he expects a deal with Greece’s creditors possibly by the end of this week. The contradictory statements have rattled nerves here in Athens, as banks continue to bleed deposits.  Though government officials insist that pensions are safe and will not be touched, the Greek state is estimated to have reserves lasting for only a few weeks more.  Tsipras is up against a rebellious left faction in his own party, which openly prefers an outright default, even if it entails leaving the eurozone.  It is uncertain whether the prospect of a missed IMF payment is real, or whether it’s a bargaining ploy to gain further bailout funds.The latest Greek opinion polls show a large majority of respondents committed to the euro.  But they also show that the popularity of Syriza, once hovering around 80 percent, has halved in the four months the party has been in power, as the economy has deteriorated.








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