Within his newly released personal account, called Ithaki, the ex- leader Tsipras pulls no punches as he revisits the chaotic period of Greece's economic turmoil.
A Controversial Appointment
According to Tsipras's version, he selected the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis as his finance minister primarily due to the latter's global profile along with his “extremely attractive” skills when it came to communicator.
“He was, actually, more of a star rather than an economist,” wrote Tsipras.
Conflicting Priorities
Tsipras claims how Varoufakis possessed his own motives which included advancing his books and testing out his game theories on Greece rather than genuinely fighting for its economic stability.
Tsipras wrote how the talks to avoid insolvency became “not only a method to secure a better deal for Greece. They were an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the truth of his ideas.”
Critical Talks
Amid volatile discussions, the country found itself dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
At stake lay not only the country's destiny and those punishing austerity measures required in return for bailout funds from international creditors.
Unsuccessful Alternatives
Attempts to find funds from other sources, such as a desperate plea to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.
Assisting the indebted country was equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, Putin reportedly told his Greek counterpart during their meeting.
Public Vote and Reversal
That summer, those excoriating conditions were put to a public vote, a move which threw the EU into further crisis of identity.
Even though the referendum was won resoundingly by those against austerity, the prime minister had little option but to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package with creditors which turned out to be even harsher.
Final Straw
The ex-PM revealed that he started questioning his finance minister quite early on.
“He was the face of negotiation, the man who attracted publicity, who graced the covers of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he relished his new role.”
When Varoufakis outlined a backup strategy involving creating a secondary currency as well as issuing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras knew that it was game over and asked Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”
Lasting Rebuke
In the memoir, Tsipras concludes that his former ally had proved himself “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and delicate handling.”
Tsipras further claimed how Varoufakis's confrontational style made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, and helped hawks who were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.
This account of history has provoked anger along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, while Varoufakis has maintained a deafening silence on the matter.
