Political

The IMF’s remarkable transformation

The IMF (no, not them, this lot) once again featured heavily in the British news last week, with its views presented as impartial and expert, cited approvingly by people across the political spectrum.

That’s a remarkable transformation for the IMF which not that long ago was one of the poster childs for protests, regularly in the firing line for the economic policies being pushed on developing world countries and its willingness to praise the economic policies of bloody dictatorships while taking a very narrowly focused views of their countries. So controversial, in fact, that the criticisms came not merely from the left but from a much wider chunk of the political spectrum.

Now, however, the IMF is all respectable and politicians flick through their reports to find the words they can quote that praise their views. “The IMF says…” has changed from being a phrase used as a form of criticism to a much desired form of praise.

An impressive transformation, especially for an organisation that is still so troubled.

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