In a freshly published personal account, titled Ithaki, the ex- leader Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits the chaotic era of Greece's financial crisis.
An Unconventional Choice
In the ex-PM's account, Tsipras chose the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis as his finance minister mainly because of the latter's worldwide fame along with his “extremely attractive” skills as a public orator.
“In reality, he was, actually, more like a star and less of an economic expert,” stated the 51-year-old.
Conflicting Priorities
The former leader alleges that his finance chief possessed his own motives which included advancing Varoufakis's publications and testing out his game theories using Greece rather than truly fighting for the country's economic stability.
He wrote how the discussions to stave off bankruptcy were “not only a way to secure a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the truth of his theories.”
Critical Negotiations
Amid tense negotiations, the country came perilously close to exiting the single currency area.
On the line was not only the country's destiny and the harsh cutbacks required in return for bailout funds from foreign lenders.
Unsuccessful Options
Efforts to find financing from other sources, such as a desperate plea to Russia to buy Greek bonds, went unanswered.
Helping the indebted country was tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin reportedly told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote Followed by U-Turn
That summer, the harsh bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, a move which plunged the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.
Even though the vote was won decisively by voters who opposed austerity, the prime minister had little option but to reject its outcome and negotiate a rescue deal with foreign lenders which turned out to be more severe.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed that he started questioning Varoufakis relatively soon.
“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the figure who drew publicity, who graced the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he relished his new role.”
After the minister proposed a contingency plan involving establishing a parallel currency as well as distributing coupons to pensioners, the leader knew it was the end and asked Varoufakis: “Are you serious?”
Lasting Criticism
In the memoir, the author concludes that his former ally had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and delicate handling.”
He also claimed that his confrontational style made him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, while assisted hawks that were pushing for Grexit.
This retelling of history has been met with anger and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while Varoufakis has maintained a conspicuous quiet on the matter.
