In a freshly published personal account, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Alexis Tsipras pulls no punches while he examines the chaotic era of Greece's debt drama.
An Unconventional Choice
As per the ex-PM's account, Tsipras selected the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis as his finance minister largely due to the latter's global profile along with his highly compelling abilities as a communicator.
“He was, actually, more of a celebrity rather than an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.
Conflicting Priorities
The former leader claims that Varoufakis had his own agenda that involved advancing his books as well as testing out his own game theories on the nation instead of genuinely advocating its economic stability.
Tsipras wrote that those negotiations to stave off insolvency became “not only a method of achieving a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, a monumental chance to prove the truth of Varoufakis's theories.”
High-Stakes Negotiations
Amid rollercoaster negotiations, the country found itself dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
At stake lay both Greece's destiny but also the harsh cutbacks required in return for bailout funds by international creditors.
Failed Alternatives
Attempts to find funds elsewhere, including a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to purchase Greek bonds, went unanswered.
Helping the indebted country was equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote Followed by U-Turn
In July 2015, those harsh conditions were subjected to a popular referendum, an action that plunged the EU into further existential crisis.
Although the referendum was won decisively by voters who opposed the cuts, Tsipras had little option to ignore the result then agree to a rescue deal from creditors that proved to be more severe.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed how he began to doubt Varoufakis quite early on.
“He was the public image of the talks, the figure who drew media attention, who graced the covers of publications globally … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”
After the minister outlined a backup strategy involving creating a parallel currency as well as distributing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras knew it was game over questioning him: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
Within the memoir, the author asserts that his former ally demonstrated himself “unsuitable for an agreement demanding intricate and sensitive handling.”
He further claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive approach made him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, while assisted hawks that were pushing for Grexit.
This retelling of events has been met with anger and stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet on the matter.
