Social Insurance Minister says will seek to ‘isolate’ IMF

With Greece hoping for the release of 2.8 billion euros in loans following the approval in Parliament of new austerity measures, Labor and Social Insurance Minister Giorgos Katrougalos said on Thursday that he aimed to “isolate” the International Monetary Fund and its tough views on pensions and labor relations.

“Our aim is to isolate and not to win round the IMF,” Katrougalos told Skai television.

“We hope that the Fund will not insist on its positions, following the report by the wise men,” the minister said, referring to a recent study by pension experts ahead of negotiations on the thorny issue of labor relations.