Within his recently unveiled autobiography, titled Ithaki, the former leader Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism as he revisits the chaotic era during Greece's debt drama.
An Unconventional Appointment
In the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras selected that maverick academic Varoufakis to be the treasury head mainly because of the latter's global profile along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” abilities when it came to communicator.
“In reality, he was, truthfully, more like a celebrity and less of an economist,” recalled Tsipras.
Clashing Agendas
The former leader alleges how his finance chief possessed his own agenda that included advancing Varoufakis's publications and experimenting with his own game theories using the nation rather than truly fighting for its economic stability.
Tsipras wrote that those negotiations to stave off insolvency were “not only a method of achieving improved terms for the country. They were a test, an historic opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his ideas.”
Critical Talks
Amid volatile negotiations, Greece came dangerously close to leaving the eurozone.
At stake lay both Greece's future and those severe austerity measures demanded in exchange for financial aid by foreign lenders.
Unsuccessful Alternatives
Efforts to find funds elsewhere, including an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, went unanswered.
Helping Greece was equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, Putin reportedly informed Tsipras during their meeting.
Public Vote and U-Turn
That summer, the excoriating bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, a move which plunged the EU into a further crisis of identity.
Even though the referendum was won resoundingly by those against the cuts, the prime minister had little option to ignore the result then negotiate a bailout package from creditors which turned out to be tougher.
Breaking Point
Tsipras revealed how he began to doubt Varoufakis quite early on.
“He was the public image of negotiation, the figure who attracted media attention, who graced the front pages of publications globally … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”
When Varoufakis proposed a contingency plan involving creating a parallel currency as well as issuing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras knew it was the end questioning Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”
Lasting Criticism
Within the memoir, the author asserts how his former ally had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and delicate management.”
Tsipras further wrote that Varoufakis's confrontational style left him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, and assisted hardliners that were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of history has been met with anger and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while Varoufakis has maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
