In a newly released autobiography, named Ithaki, the former premier Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits the chaotic era of Greece's economic turmoil.
An Unconventional Appointment
As per Tsipras's recollections, he selected that unorthodox academic Varoufakis to be the finance minister largely because of his global profile and his “extremely attractive” abilities when it came to speaker.
“In reality, he was, in reality, more of a personality and less of an economist,” stated Tsipras.
Clashing Agendas
The former leader claims that his finance chief had a personal agenda which included promoting his books and testing out his own game theories using Greece rather than genuinely fighting for the country's financial survival.
Tsipras wrote how those discussions to stave off insolvency were “not just a way to secure a better deal for Greece. They became a test, an historic chance to demonstrate the truth of Varoufakis's theories.”
Critical Negotiations
During tense negotiations, the country came dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
At stake lay both the country's destiny but also the severe austerity measures demanded in exchange for bailout funds from international creditors.
Failed Alternatives
Attempts to find funds from other sources, such as an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, were rejected.
Helping Greece would be tantamount to throwing money in the trash-can, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote and Reversal
That summer, those excoriating bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, an action that plunged Europe into deeper existential crisis.
Although the vote was won decisively by voters against the cuts, the prime minister was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a bailout package from creditors that turned out to be even harsher.
Final Straw
Tsipras claimed how he began to doubt his finance minister quite early on.
“He was the public image of the talks, the man who attracted publicity, who appeared on the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he was enjoying the spotlight.”
When the minister outlined a contingency plan that included creating a parallel currency and distributing vouchers to retirees, the leader knew it was the end and asked him: “Can you be serious?”
Lasting Rebuke
In the book, the author asserts that Varoufakis had proved himself to be “unfit for a deal demanding complex and sensitive management.”
Tsipras also claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive approach left him increasingly isolated with colleagues, endangered the country, and helped hardliners that were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.
The account of history has provoked fury and stunned disbelief in some quarters, while the former minister has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet on the matter.
