In 2002, the director of the IMF’s European Department described the fiscal rules that institutionalized the culture of persistent austerity as a “sound framework.” And, in May 2010, the IMF endorsed the European authorities’ decision not to impose losses on Greece’s private creditors – a move that was reversed only after unprecedented fiscal belt-tightening sent the Greek economy into a tailspin.
20世纪90年代，当欧元区的不幸事件还在酝酿期时，IMF袖手旁观。2002年，IMF欧洲部门主管把将持久紧缩文化制度化的财政规则描述为“可靠框架”。2010年5月，IMF支持欧洲当局不要求希腊私人债权人承担损失的决定&mdash;&mdash;这一决定直到前所未有的财政紧缩将希腊经济推下悬崖后才被改变。