Rift With I.M.F. Adds to Greece's Tensions in Pivotal Week - by Liz Alderman and Landon Thomas Jr.

As Greece enters a pivotal, potentially chaotic week in its economic crisis, tensions between Athens and the country’s international lenders have reached a boiling point. The government is resisting a push by the International Monetary Fund to impose harsh austerity measures that Greek leaders fear could destabilize the shaky coalition government.

Although those talks are expected to resume later this week, they have been suspended since an angry exchange last week between the Greek finance minister and the I.M.F.’s top negotiator for Greece.

The impasse has elevated tensions here, as Greece braces for a nationwide general strike planned for Wednesday that threatens to bring public services grinding to a halt. The Greek people are increasingly angry over the prospect that public salaries and pensions will be slashed anew in a last-ditch bid to secure a new loan installment of €31.5 billion, or $40.7 billion, from Greece’s creditors. 

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras plans to address the nation this week to bolster support for the austerity package. He has already publicly warned his center-right party, New Democracy, that he will oust lawmakers from the party if they fail to back the package once it comes up for a vote, probably in early October.

Rift With I.M.F. Adds to Greece's Tensions in Pivotal Week - NYTimes.com