In a freshly published personal account, named Ithaki, the ex- leader Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits that turbulent era during Greece's debt drama.
A Controversial Appointment
According to the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras appointed the maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis as the finance minister largely due to his worldwide fame and his highly compelling abilities as a speaker.
“In reality, he was, truthfully, more of a personality and less of an economic expert,” wrote Tsipras.
Clashing Priorities
Tsipras claims that Varoufakis possessed a personal agenda which included advancing his books as well as testing out his own economic models on Greece instead of truly fighting for the country's financial survival.
Tsipras explained how the discussions to stave off insolvency became “not only a way of achieving a better deal for Greece. They became a test, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the truth of his theories.”
Critical Talks
Amid volatile negotiations, the country came perilously close to leaving the eurozone.
On the line lay both Greece's destiny and those harsh austerity measures required in return for financial aid from foreign lenders.
Unsuccessful Options
Attempts to find financing from other sources, including an urgent plea to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, were rejected.
Helping the indebted country would be tantamount to throwing money into the garbage, Putin reportedly told Tsipras in Moscow.
Referendum Followed by U-Turn
In July 2015, those punitive conditions were subjected to a popular referendum, a move which threw Europe into a deeper existential crisis.
Although the vote was won resoundingly by voters who opposed austerity, Tsipras was forced to ignore the result and agree to a rescue deal with foreign lenders that proved to be tougher.
Breaking Point
The ex-PM claimed that he started questioning his finance minister quite early on.
“He was the public image of the talks, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the covers of magazines globally … he gave the impression he was enjoying the spotlight.”
After Varoufakis proposed a backup strategy that included creating a secondary currency and issuing coupons to pensioners, the leader knew that it was the end questioning him: “Is this for real?”
Enduring Rebuke
Within the book, the author asserts that Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and delicate handling.”
He further claimed how Varoufakis's confrontational style made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hardliners who were advocating Grexit.
The account of history has provoked anger and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has so far kept a conspicuous quiet on the matter.
