Greece has no money to pay the IMF this June, says interior minister Nikos Voutsis
Greece’s interior minister has said that the country cannot afford its 5 June payment to the International Monetary Fund.
Greece owes the IMF €1.6bn (£1.1bn) in June, but Nikos Voutsis said on Greek TV that Athens simply doesn’t have the money to pay:
The four instalments for the IMF in June are €1.6bn, this money will not be given and is not there to be given.
Greece’s position in the EU is strained, with the country still needing to secure a deal with both the EU and the IMF in order to receive much-needed bailout funds. The EU wants Greece to propose and impose reforms before the money is handed over.
Whether or not Voutsis’s words are accurate is unclear: there are theories that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras allows his minister to have their heads in interviews to leave him with more negotiating power during meetings with the country’s creditors.