Within his freshly published personal account, called Ithaki, the ex- premier Tsipras spares no criticism as he revisits that turbulent period during Greece's financial crisis.
An Unconventional Appointment
As per the ex-PM's version, he chose the maverick economist Varoufakis to be the finance minister largely due to the latter's worldwide fame and Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” skills when it came to public orator.
“In reality, he was, actually, more of a celebrity rather than an economist,” wrote Tsipras.
Clashing Agendas
Tsipras claims that his finance chief had his own motives which included advancing his books and testing out his own economic models using the nation instead of genuinely advocating its economic stability.
He noted that those discussions to avoid insolvency became “not only a way to secure improved terms for the country. They were an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the validity of his ideas.”
Critical Talks
During volatile discussions, Greece came perilously on the brink of leaving the eurozone.
At stake was not only the country's destiny but also those severe austerity measures required in return for financial aid from international creditors.
Unsuccessful Alternatives
Efforts to secure financing elsewhere, such as an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, were rejected.
Helping Greece would be equivalent to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote and Reversal
That summer, those punitive conditions were put to a popular referendum, an action that threw Europe into a deeper existential crisis.
Even though the referendum was won resoundingly by those against austerity, Tsipras was forced but to reject its outcome and negotiate a bailout package from creditors which turned out to be tougher.
Breaking Point
Tsipras claimed that he started questioning Varoufakis quite early on.
“He was the public image of negotiation, the man who attracted media attention, who graced the covers of publications globally … he gave the impression he was enjoying his new role.”
When Varoufakis proposed a contingency plan that included creating a parallel currency and distributing coupons to pensioners, the leader said he realised it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Are you serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
In the book, the author asserts how his former ally had proved himself “unfit for a deal that required complex and delicate handling.”
Tsipras also claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive approach left him more and more alone with colleagues, put Greece at risk, and helped hardliners who were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of events has provoked fury along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, while Varoufakis has kept a deafening silence on the matter.
