April 7, 2011
Debt-crippled Greece was urged by its European partners to seek aid from the International Monetary Fund as early as 2004, but its conservative government procrastinated so it could extend its political survival, a former finance minister said.
In an interview published Thursday, former minister George Alogoskoufis said that former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was aware of his nation's dire economic situation. His comments came amid the latest Greek strike against austerity measures, this one by journalists.
"Karamanlis knew, saw the situation and made efforts," Alogoskoufis was quoted as telling the To Vima newspaper. "But he was under political pressure. You see, he had a slender majority in Parliament. He simply told me: 'leave it for later.' He was fully aware of exactly what was happening in the economy."
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