In a newly released autobiography, titled Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras does not hold back as he examines that chaotic era during Greece's debt drama.
An Unconventional Choice
In the ex-PM's version, Tsipras appointed the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis as the treasury head mainly due to the latter's global profile along with Varoufakis's highly compelling abilities when it came to speaker.
“In reality, he was, actually, more of a personality rather than an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.
Clashing Priorities
The former leader claims that Varoufakis had a personal motives which included promoting his books and experimenting with his theories using the nation instead of truly advocating its financial survival.
Tsipras noted that those discussions to prevent insolvency were “not only a method of achieving a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, an historic chance to prove the validity of Varoufakis's ideas.”
Critical Talks
During volatile negotiations, Greece found itself perilously close to exiting the eurozone.
At stake lay not only Greece's future but also those harsh austerity policies required in exchange for bailout funds by foreign lenders.
Failed Options
Efforts to find financing elsewhere, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.
Helping the indebted country was tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly informed Tsipras in Moscow.
Public Vote Followed by U-Turn
In July 2015, those excoriating bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, a move which threw the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.
Although the referendum was carried resoundingly by those against austerity, the prime minister had little option but to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package from foreign lenders that proved to be tougher.
Final Straw
The ex-PM revealed that he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.
“Varoufakis was the face of negotiation, the man who drew media attention, who appeared on the front pages of magazines globally … it seemed he relished the spotlight.”
After the minister proposed a backup strategy that included creating a secondary currency as well as distributing vouchers to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised it was the end and asked Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
Within the book, the author asserts that his former ally had proved himself “unsuitable for a deal demanding complex and delicate handling.”
Tsipras further wrote that his confrontational style left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, while helped hardliners who were advocating Grexit.
The retelling of history has provoked anger and shock among certain groups, while Varoufakis has so far kept a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
