In a newly released personal account, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Alexis Tsipras does not hold back as he examines that chaotic period of Greece's debt drama.
An Unconventional Choice
In the ex-PM's account, Tsipras chose the unorthodox economist Yanis Varoufakis as his finance minister mainly because of his global profile and his “extremely attractive” skills when it came to communicator.
“He was, truthfully, more like a personality rather than an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.
Conflicting Agendas
The former leader alleges that Varoufakis possessed his own agenda that included advancing his publications and experimenting with his own theories on Greece instead of genuinely fighting for its economic stability.
He wrote that the talks to avoid insolvency became “not only a way of achieving improved terms for the country. They became an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the validity of his theories.”
Critical Negotiations
During tense negotiations, Greece came dangerously on the brink of leaving the eurozone.
At stake lay not only the country's destiny and those severe cutbacks required in return for rescue loans from foreign lenders.
Unsuccessful Alternatives
Efforts to find financing from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to Russia to buy Greek bonds, went unanswered.
Helping Greece was tantamount to throwing money into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have told his Greek counterpart during their meeting.
Public Vote Followed by U-Turn
That summer, those punitive conditions were put to a public vote, a move that plunged Europe into a deeper crisis of identity.
Although the vote was won decisively by those who opposed the cuts, the prime minister had little option but to ignore the result then negotiate a bailout package with creditors which proved to be tougher.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed that he began to doubt Varoufakis quite early on.
“Varoufakis was the face of the talks, the figure who attracted media attention, who appeared on the covers of publications the world over … it seemed he relished his new role.”
When Varoufakis outlined a backup strategy that included establishing a secondary currency and issuing vouchers to pensioners, the leader knew that it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Are you serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
In the book, Tsipras asserts how his former ally demonstrated himself to be “unfit for a deal demanding intricate and sensitive management.”
Tsipras also wrote that his aggressive approach made him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, and helped hawks that were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of events has provoked fury along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, while Varoufakis has maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
