Hungary’s government appears to be playing down the importance of concluding a deal with the International Monetary Fund, following criticism from local IMF officials. In an interview on a Hungarian state radio station, Mihaly Varga, who is leading the negotiations for the government, said that “life would go on” even if an agreement didn’t take place. Varga also damped enthusiasm for a deal, saying it would only make a slight difference to the price at which foreign investors would be willing to buy Hungarian bonds. Reports say that the value of the forint fell after the remarks.
