In a freshly published memoir, called Ithaki, the ex- prime minister Tsipras spares no criticism while he reflects on that turbulent period during Greece's economic turmoil.
An Unconventional Choice
According to the ex-PM's version, Tsipras selected that maverick academic Varoufakis as the finance minister primarily due to his global profile along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” skills as a communicator.
“He was, truthfully, more like a personality rather than an economic expert,” wrote Tsipras.
Conflicting Agendas
Tsipras claims how Varoufakis possessed his own motives that involved promoting Varoufakis's books as well as experimenting with his own theories using the nation rather than genuinely advocating its financial survival.
Tsipras wrote that those negotiations to stave off bankruptcy were “not just a method to secure a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, an historic opportunity to demonstrate the validity of Varoufakis's theories.”
Critical Talks
During tense discussions, Greece came dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
On the line lay not only Greece's future and those severe cutbacks demanded in exchange for financial aid by international creditors.
Failed Options
Efforts to find funds from other sources, including a desperate appeal to Russia to buy Greek bonds, were rejected.
Helping Greece was equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, the Russian leader reportedly informed Tsipras in Moscow.
Referendum and Reversal
That summer, those punitive bailout terms were put to a public vote, an action that threw the EU into further existential crisis.
Even though the vote was won decisively by voters who opposed the cuts, Tsipras had little option but to ignore the result and negotiate a rescue deal from creditors that proved to be more severe.
Final Straw
The ex-PM revealed how he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.
“He was the face of negotiation, the figure who attracted media attention, who graced the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”
After the minister proposed a contingency plan involving creating a secondary currency and issuing vouchers to retirees, Tsipras said he realised that it was the end and asked Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”
Lasting Rebuke
Within the memoir, Tsipras concludes that his former ally demonstrated himself “unfit for an agreement demanding intricate and delicate handling.”
He also claimed how Varoufakis's aggressive approach left him increasingly isolated with colleagues, endangered the country, and helped hawks who were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of history has been met with fury along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, whereas Varoufakis has maintained a deafening silence regarding these claims.
