In a recently unveiled personal account, titled Ithaki, the former premier Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism while he reflects on the turbulent era during Greece's debt drama.
A Controversial Appointment
According to the ex-PM's account, he chose that unorthodox economist Yanis Varoufakis as his treasury head primarily because of the latter's global profile along with his highly compelling abilities when it came to public orator.
“In reality, he was, truthfully, more of a celebrity rather than an economic expert,” wrote the 51-year-old.
Clashing Priorities
Tsipras alleges that Varoufakis had a personal agenda which involved promoting his books and testing out his own game theories using the nation instead of genuinely fighting for the country's financial survival.
Tsipras noted that those discussions to stave off insolvency became “not only a way of achieving a better deal for Greece. They were an experiment, an historic opportunity to prove the truth of Varoufakis's theories.”
Critical Talks
Amid tense negotiations, the country found itself perilously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
At stake lay both Greece's destiny and the harsh austerity measures demanded in return for rescue loans from foreign lenders.
Failed Options
Efforts to find funds elsewhere, such as a desperate appeal to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, went unanswered.
Assisting the indebted country would be equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly told Tsipras during their meeting.
Public Vote and U-Turn
In July 2015, those punitive conditions were subjected to a public vote, an action which threw the EU into deeper existential crisis.
Even though the vote was won resoundingly by voters who opposed the cuts, the prime minister was forced to ignore the result and negotiate a rescue deal from foreign lenders that proved to be more severe.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed that he began to doubt his finance minister relatively soon.
“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the man who attracted publicity, who appeared on the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”
When the minister outlined a contingency plan that included creating a parallel currency as well as distributing vouchers to pensioners, the leader said he realised that it was game over questioning him: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Criticism
Within the memoir, Tsipras concludes that Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unfit for a deal demanding complex and delicate handling.”
He also claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive approach made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, and helped hardliners that were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of history has provoked fury and shock in some quarters, whereas the former minister has maintained a deafening silence on the matter.
