Brussels, 25 May 2015 Mr. Willy Kiekens
Executive Director IMF Dear Mr. Kiekens, The recent developments in the Greek crisis and more particularly the position of the IMF seem to me and the affiliates of the trade union CSC completely incomprehensible. There are huge contradictions between recent findings of the IMF Research Department on the pro-cyclical effects of austerity policies in countries on the downside of the business cycle and the actual lending programme demands of the same IMF towards Greece. With certainty, we can say that the approach of the last five years to help Greece overcome its economic downturn did not work. Yet, the IMF is now urging more austerity, i.e. cuts in the pensions of retirees whose incomes are already below poverty thresholds. The IMF rightly makes the analysis that the level of the Greek public debt is unsustainable. Yet, instead of urging its European partners to agree with a debt restructuring if they want the IMF to stay on board in the coming years, the IMF focuses on the weakest partner, the Greek government, to ensure by whatever means the reimbursement of its loans. I am sorry to say that the IMF shows once again its most rigid and unfeeling stance, too many times seen in the nineties, when developing countries were urged to downsize essential infrastructures in health care or education. Lessons learned since seem to have been forgotten in the current Greek crisis. On behalf of CSC affiliates, who wish to stay in solidarity with the already harshly affected Greek people, I request the IMF to promote policies, which really help Greece to get out of its downward spiral , and not to only narrowly think of how the IMF loans can be repaid. Yours sincerely, Marc Leemans President of CSC
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