[NYTIMES] The International Monetary Fund, a big Greek creditor, conceded a point on Thursday that the Athens government has long been making: Without some reduction in the country's staggering debt load, Greece has little hope of a sustained economic recovery.It was a significant acknowledgment, and an indication that if or when bailout negotiations resume, Greece might win some relief from its debt of 300 billion euros, or about $330 billion. It just might not be relief granted to the leftist government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
The I.M.F. argued on Thursday that the five-month-old government bore the blame for having made Greece's economic situation so much worse that a new €50 billion relief program is now necessary.
The organization did not mention Mr. Tsipras or his party by name, but said the country's economy and finances had deteriorated sharply because of government policies since the end of last year. Mr. Tsipras took office in January.