Lebanon and Tunisia face a tough task to tackle crises

The IMF confirmed this week that technical talks with Lebanon have restarted. But even before any sort of deal is reached, the government has the tough task of restructuring its defaulted Eurobond debt. And any lending from the Fund will come with a long list of reforms that will be difficult to implement. Elsewhere, Tunisia’s government has also begun talks with the IMF in hopes of securing a fresh deal and is reportedly in talks with the Gulf over financing too. But without reforms to address the deteriorating public finances, this funding would only kick the can down the road and delay a debt restructuring.