Within his recently unveiled autobiography, called Ithaki, the former premier Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits the chaotic era during Greece's economic turmoil.
A Controversial Appointment
According to Tsipras's version, he appointed that maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis to be the treasury head mainly because of his international reputation and Varoufakis's highly compelling abilities when it came to communicator.
“In reality, he was, actually, more of a personality and less of an economic expert,” recalled the 51-year-old.
Conflicting Agendas
The former leader suggests how his finance chief possessed his own motives that involved advancing his books and experimenting with his theories on the nation rather than genuinely fighting for its financial survival.
Tsipras wrote how those discussions to stave off insolvency became “not only a way of achieving a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the validity of his theories.”
High-Stakes Talks
Amid volatile negotiations, the country found itself dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
On the line lay both Greece's future but also those punishing austerity policies demanded in exchange for rescue loans from international creditors.
Failed Options
Attempts to find financing from other sources, including an urgent plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.
Assisting the indebted country would be equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote Followed by Reversal
That summer, the punitive bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, an action that threw the EU into deeper crisis of identity.
Although the referendum was won decisively by voters who opposed austerity, the prime minister was forced but to reject its outcome and negotiate a bailout package with creditors that turned out to be tougher.
Breaking Point
Tsipras claimed how he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.
“He was the public image of negotiation, the figure who attracted media attention, who appeared on the front pages of magazines globally … it seemed he relished his new role.”
When Varoufakis outlined a contingency plan that included establishing a secondary currency and distributing vouchers to pensioners, the leader knew that it was game over questioning him: “Is this for real?”
Lasting Criticism
Within the book, the author asserts how Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unfit for an agreement that required intricate and sensitive management.”
Tsipras further wrote that Varoufakis's confrontational style made him more and more alone with colleagues, put Greece at risk, while helped hawks that were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.
The account of events has provoked anger and shock among certain groups, while the former minister has maintained a deafening silence regarding these claims.
