Within his newly released autobiography, titled Ithaki, the former leader Alexis Tsipras pulls no punches as he examines the turbulent period during Greece's debt drama.
An Unconventional Choice
As per Tsipras's account, Tsipras selected the unorthodox economist Varoufakis to be the finance minister primarily because of his global profile along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” abilities when it came to speaker.
“In reality, he was, actually, more like a celebrity and less of an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.
Conflicting Priorities
The former leader suggests how his finance chief possessed a personal agenda which involved promoting Varoufakis's publications as well as testing out his own theories using Greece instead of genuinely advocating its financial survival.
Tsipras noted that the discussions to avoid bankruptcy became “not just a way of achieving a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, an historic chance to prove the truth of his theories.”
High-Stakes Talks
During rollercoaster discussions, the country found itself perilously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
At stake was both Greece's destiny and those punishing austerity policies required in return for financial aid by international creditors.
Unsuccessful Options
Efforts to find financing from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to Russia to buy Greek government bonds, were rejected.
Helping Greece was tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, the Russian leader is reputed to have told Tsipras during their meeting.
Public Vote and U-Turn
In July 2015, the harsh conditions were subjected to a public vote, an action that threw the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.
Although the referendum was carried decisively by voters who opposed the cuts, Tsipras had little option to ignore the result and negotiate a bailout package with creditors which turned out to be more severe.
Breaking Point
Tsipras revealed how he started questioning his finance minister quite early on.
“He was the face of the talks, the figure who drew media attention, who appeared on the covers of publications globally … he gave the impression he was enjoying his new role.”
When the minister outlined a contingency plan that included establishing a secondary currency as well as distributing coupons to retirees, the leader knew that it was game over questioning him: “Are you serious?”
Lasting Rebuke
In the memoir, Tsipras asserts how his former ally had proved himself “unsuitable for an agreement that required intricate and sensitive management.”
Tsipras also claimed that his aggressive style made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hardliners who were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of history has been met with anger along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has maintained a deafening silence regarding these claims.
