Within his newly released memoir, called Ithaki, the former premier Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits the turbulent period during Greece's financial crisis.
An Unconventional Choice
According to the ex-PM's version, Tsipras chose that unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis to be the finance minister largely due to his worldwide fame along with his highly compelling abilities when it came to public orator.
“In reality, he was, actually, more like a celebrity and less of an economist,” wrote the 51-year-old.
Clashing Priorities
Tsipras claims how Varoufakis possessed his own motives that included advancing his publications and testing out his economic models using the nation rather than genuinely fighting for its economic stability.
He wrote that those discussions to avoid bankruptcy became “not only a way to secure a better deal for the country. They were a test, an historic chance to demonstrate the truth of his theories.”
Critical Negotiations
During rollercoaster discussions, the country found itself perilously on the brink of exiting the single currency area.
At stake was not only the country's future and those harsh cutbacks required in exchange for bailout funds from foreign lenders.
Failed Options
Attempts to secure funds from other sources, including an urgent plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, were rejected.
Helping the indebted country was tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Referendum and Reversal
In July 2015, the punitive conditions were put to a public vote, an action which threw the EU into a further crisis of identity.
Even though the referendum was won decisively by those against the cuts, Tsipras was forced but to ignore the result then negotiate a bailout package with foreign lenders that proved to be tougher.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed how he started questioning Varoufakis quite early on.
“He was the public image of negotiation, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the front pages of publications the world over … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”
When Varoufakis proposed a backup strategy that included establishing a secondary currency and distributing coupons to retirees, Tsipras knew it was the end and asked him: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Criticism
Within the memoir, the author asserts how Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unsuitable for an agreement that required complex and sensitive management.”
Tsipras also claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive approach left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, and assisted hawks that were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of events has been met with anger along with shock in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has so far kept a deafening silence regarding these claims.
