Elena Panaritis’ appointment as Greece’s representative at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has caused friction within the government.
Senior government members denounced the choice of the Greek-American economist Elena Panaritis, a member of Greece's financial crisis negotiating team, to replace Thanos Katsambas at the IMF.
By Sunday night 43 Syriza MPs and other senior party officials, including deputy prime minister Yannis Dragasakis, have signed a letter expressing strong disapproval for the selection of Elena Panaritis.
They argue that Panaritis is a poor choice, as she had formerly represented the pro-bailout Pasok party as an honorary MP. As the letter puts it:
“A prominent representative of bailout policies cannot represent the government...It’s not a symbolic but a political issue. It’s a wrong decision and we ask that it is taken back.”
PASOK accused Panaritis of being a “political opportunist.”
Panaritis, who has worked at the World Bank in the past was the favored choice of finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. Varoufakis received a lot of harsh criticism for Panaritis’ appointment as Greece’s representative to the IMF, sparking a new round of speculation about his fate.
But Varoufakis denied that his position in Tsipras’s government could be at risk on Twitter on Sunday morning.
“Rumors of my impending resignation are (for the umpteenth time) grossly premature...”, he tweeted to his 425,000 followers.
When asked by a follower if the key word to his statement was “premature,” he replied with “In the long run we are all dead.” J.M.Keynes. (In the medium run, those nostalgic of the troika days are stuck with me @FinMin.”
The Finance Minister had a meting with Prime Minister Tsipras on Sunday afternoon. No comments were made after the meeting but it is expected that the government will recall Panaritis's appointment at he IMF.