The French government spoke out on Sunday against comments by International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde suggesting that Greeks were dodging taxes.

“I find (Lagarde’s comments) rather simplistic and stereotypical,” government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem told French television after the IMF managing director’s comments last week outraged Greece.

Lagarde told Britain’s Guardian newspaper in an interview published Friday that Greeks must “help themselves” by all paying their taxes, saying she was more concerned about Africans in poverty than Greeks hit by the economic crisis.

Her comments were also criticized by French radical-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon who said Lagarde should resign.

“What gives her the right to speak in this manner to the Greeks?” he said in an interview with France 3 television, describing her comments as “undignified.” (AFP)

”It’s the Orthodox Church that should pay its taxes,“ said Melenchon, pointing out that public servants and the ”courageous people“ of Greece have ”no way of escaping taxes“ as they are taken automatically from monthly salaries. (AFP)