In a freshly published personal account, called Ithaki, the ex- prime minister Tsipras spares no criticism while he reflects on that chaotic period of Greece's debt drama.
A Controversial Choice
In Tsipras's version, he chose the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis to be his finance minister mainly due to his worldwide fame along with his “extremely attractive” skills when it came to communicator.
“He was, truthfully, more like a celebrity rather than an economic expert,” stated the 51-year-old.
Clashing Priorities
Tsipras suggests that his finance chief possessed his own motives that included advancing Varoufakis's books as well as testing out his game theories on Greece instead of truly advocating its economic stability.
Tsipras noted how those talks to prevent insolvency were “not just a method of achieving improved terms for Greece. They became a test, an historic opportunity to prove the validity of Varoufakis's ideas.”
Critical Talks
Amid tense negotiations, the country found itself dangerously close to leaving the eurozone.
At stake lay both Greece's destiny and the punishing cutbacks demanded in return for bailout funds from foreign lenders.
Failed Options
Efforts to secure funds from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, were rejected.
Helping the indebted country would be equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, the Russian leader is reputed to have told Tsipras during their meeting.
Referendum and U-Turn
That summer, those harsh bailout terms were put to a public vote, an action that plunged Europe into deeper crisis of identity.
Although the vote was won resoundingly by those against the cuts, the prime minister was forced to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package from creditors which proved to be tougher.
Final Straw
Tsipras claimed that he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.
“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the figure who drew publicity, who graced the covers of publications the world over … he gave the impression he was enjoying the spotlight.”
When the minister outlined a contingency plan involving creating a secondary currency as well as issuing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras knew that it was game over and asked him: “Are you serious?”
Lasting Rebuke
Within the memoir, Tsipras concludes how Varoufakis had proved himself to be “unfit for an agreement that required complex and delicate handling.”
Tsipras also claimed how his aggressive approach left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, while helped hawks that were pushing for Grexit.
The account of events has been met with anger and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has kept a deafening silence on the matter.
