In a recently unveiled autobiography, titled Ithaki, the ex- leader Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism as he revisits that chaotic period during Greece's economic turmoil.
An Unconventional Appointment
In the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras selected the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis to be the finance minister mainly due to his international reputation and Varoufakis's very persuasive abilities as a public orator.
“He was, actually, more like a star and less of an economic expert,” recalled the 51-year-old.
Clashing Agendas
Tsipras alleges that Varoufakis had a personal motives which involved promoting Varoufakis's books as well as experimenting with his own theories using the nation rather than truly advocating the country's financial survival.
Tsipras wrote that the talks to avoid insolvency were “not only a way of achieving a better deal for Greece. They were an experiment, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his ideas.”
Critical Talks
Amid volatile negotiations, Greece came perilously on the brink of exiting the single currency area.
On the line lay both the country's destiny and those harsh austerity measures required in return for financial aid by international creditors.
Failed Options
Attempts to secure funds from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, went unanswered.
Helping Greece was tantamount to throwing money in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have informed Tsipras in Moscow.
Public Vote and U-Turn
In July 2015, the punitive conditions were put to a public vote, an action that plunged the EU into a further existential crisis.
Even though the referendum was carried decisively by voters against the cuts, the prime minister had little option but to reject its outcome and negotiate a bailout package with creditors that proved to be more severe.
Breaking Point
Tsipras claimed how he began to doubt his finance minister relatively soon.
“He was the face of the talks, the man who attracted media attention, who appeared on the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he was enjoying the spotlight.”
After Varoufakis proposed a contingency plan involving creating a secondary currency as well as issuing vouchers to pensioners, the leader said he realised it was the end and asked Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”
Lasting Rebuke
Within the memoir, the author concludes how Varoufakis had proved himself to be “unsuitable for an agreement demanding intricate and delicate handling.”
He further wrote how his aggressive style left him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, while helped hawks that were advocating Grexit.
This retelling of events has provoked anger and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
