Within his freshly published memoir, named Ithaki, the former premier Tsipras does not hold back as he reflects on that chaotic period of Greece's debt drama.
A Controversial Appointment
As per Tsipras's version, Tsipras appointed the unorthodox economist Yanis Varoufakis as his finance minister mainly because of his international reputation and his very persuasive skills when it came to public orator.
“He was, in reality, more of a star rather than an economist,” stated Tsipras.
Clashing Priorities
Tsipras suggests how Varoufakis had a personal agenda that included promoting his publications and testing out his own economic models using the nation rather than genuinely fighting for the country's economic stability.
Tsipras wrote that the negotiations to avoid bankruptcy were “not only a method to secure a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, an historic chance to demonstrate the validity of his theories.”
Critical Talks
Amid tense discussions, the country found itself dangerously on the brink of leaving the eurozone.
At stake lay both the country's future but also the harsh austerity policies required in exchange for financial aid from foreign lenders.
Unsuccessful Alternatives
Efforts to find funds from other sources, such as an urgent plea to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.
Helping Greece was equivalent to throwing money into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have informed Tsipras during their meeting.
Public Vote Followed by U-Turn
In July 2015, those excoriating conditions were put to a public vote, an action which threw the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.
Although the vote was carried resoundingly by those who opposed austerity, the prime minister had little option to reject its outcome and agree to a bailout package with creditors which proved to be tougher.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed that he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.
“He was the public image of the talks, the figure who drew media attention, who graced the front pages of publications globally … he gave the impression he was enjoying the spotlight.”
When Varoufakis proposed a contingency plan involving creating a parallel currency as well as issuing vouchers to pensioners, the leader knew that it was game over and asked Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
Within the memoir, the author asserts how his former ally demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for an agreement that required complex and delicate management.”
He further wrote that his confrontational style made him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, and helped hardliners who were pushing for Grexit.
This account of events has provoked fury along with shock among certain groups, while the former minister has kept a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
