In a freshly published autobiography, titled Ithaki, the former leader Alexis Tsipras does not hold back as he reflects on the turbulent era during Greece's financial crisis.
An Unconventional Choice
As per the ex-PM's version, he appointed the unorthodox academic Varoufakis as his finance minister mainly because of the latter's global profile along with Varoufakis's very persuasive skills when it came to communicator.
“He was, actually, more like a star rather than an economist,” wrote the 51-year-old.
Clashing Priorities
The former leader claims how his finance chief possessed a personal motives which involved promoting Varoufakis's books and experimenting with his own game theories on the nation rather than genuinely advocating the country's financial survival.
Tsipras wrote how those negotiations to avoid bankruptcy were “not just a method of achieving improved terms for Greece. They were an experiment, an historic opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his theories.”
Critical Talks
Amid volatile negotiations, the country came perilously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.
On the line lay both Greece's future and the harsh cutbacks demanded in exchange for financial aid from foreign lenders.
Unsuccessful Alternatives
Efforts to find financing from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, were rejected.
Assisting the indebted country would be equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, Putin reportedly told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote and Reversal
In July 2015, those harsh conditions were put to a public vote, an action that threw the EU into further existential crisis.
Although the vote was won decisively by those who opposed austerity, Tsipras was forced to reject its outcome then agree to a bailout package from foreign lenders that proved to be tougher.
Final Straw
Tsipras claimed that he started questioning his finance minister quite early on.
“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the figure who drew media attention, who appeared on the covers of publications globally … it seemed he was enjoying the spotlight.”
When Varoufakis outlined a contingency plan involving creating a secondary currency and issuing vouchers to retirees, Tsipras knew it was the end questioning Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Criticism
Within the memoir, Tsipras concludes how his former ally had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required intricate and sensitive handling.”
He also wrote how his aggressive style made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hardliners that were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of history has been met with fury along with shock in some quarters, while Varoufakis has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
