While the talks regarding the next loan installment are still under way, the tension between the Greek negotiators and the IMF officials over the recapitalization of banks is escalating.
A senior Finance Ministry official was frustrated by the IMF’s insistence on the matter, as it is not only challenging Greek estimations, but also those of the European Commission and European Central Bank.
This, according to the official, is also creating tension amongst the troika, since the European Commission and ECB want to complete the current review as soon as possible and feel that the IMF is stalling.
The government has interpreted the IMF’s stance as an effort to force Greece to sign a new bailout, since the banks will need a further 9 billion euros, essentially using up what remained from the sum Greece collected in the second bailout. The Central Bank of Greece claims that no more than 6 billion are necessary.
