Deputy spokesperson of the European Commission Alexander Winterstein said the role of the IMF in the Greek bailout program is provided for in the European Stability Mechanism’s (ESM) compliance charter. Commenting on the statement made by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble that a new program could be drawn up with the ESM in the event the IMF would not participate in the Greek program, Mr. Winterstein made it clear that the ESM continued to operate on the assumption that the Fund would be on board the current bailout program. “We will not speculate on the basis of hypothetical scenarios, regardless of whether they came from statements or not”, he stressed.