Within his freshly published personal account, called Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits the turbulent period during Greece's financial crisis.
An Unconventional Choice
In Tsipras's recollections, he selected the maverick economist Varoufakis as the finance minister mainly due to his worldwide fame along with his highly compelling abilities as a communicator.
“He was, actually, more like a celebrity rather than an economic expert,” stated Tsipras.
Conflicting Priorities
Tsipras claims how his finance chief had a personal agenda that included advancing his books as well as testing out his own theories using Greece instead of genuinely advocating its economic stability.
Tsipras noted how those talks to prevent bankruptcy became “not only a way to secure a better deal for the country. They became an experiment, an historic chance to prove the truth of Varoufakis's theories.”
Critical Negotiations
During rollercoaster discussions, Greece found itself dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
On the line was both Greece's destiny but also those harsh austerity policies required in return for bailout funds by foreign lenders.
Failed Options
Attempts to find financing elsewhere, including a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, were rejected.
Helping the indebted country would be equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote and Reversal
That summer, those harsh bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, a move that plunged Europe into deeper crisis of identity.
Even though the vote was won decisively by voters against austerity, Tsipras was forced but to ignore the result then agree to a bailout package from foreign lenders that turned out to be tougher.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed how he started questioning Varoufakis relatively soon.
“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the figure who drew media attention, who appeared on the covers of publications the world over … he gave the impression he was enjoying his new role.”
When Varoufakis outlined a backup strategy involving establishing a secondary currency as well as issuing vouchers to pensioners, the leader knew that it was the end questioning him: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
Within the book, the author concludes how Varoufakis had proved himself “unfit for an agreement that required complex and sensitive handling.”
Tsipras further wrote how his confrontational style left him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, and assisted hardliners that were advocating Grexit.
This account of history has provoked anger along with shock in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has kept a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
