In a freshly published autobiography, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras does not hold back as he examines the chaotic era during Greece's financial crisis.
A Controversial Choice
In Tsipras's version, Tsipras appointed the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis to be his treasury head primarily due to his worldwide fame and Varoufakis's highly compelling skills as a public orator.
“In reality, he was, in reality, more of a celebrity and less of an economic expert,” stated the 51-year-old.
Conflicting Priorities
The former leader alleges that his finance chief possessed a personal motives which involved advancing his books and testing out his own game theories using the nation instead of truly advocating the country's financial survival.
Tsipras wrote that the negotiations to avoid bankruptcy became “not only a method to secure a better deal for Greece. They became a test, an historic opportunity to prove the truth of his theories.”
Critical Talks
Amid tense negotiations, Greece found itself dangerously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.
At stake was not only Greece's future and the severe cutbacks required in exchange for rescue loans by international creditors.
Failed Alternatives
Efforts to secure financing from other sources, including a desperate appeal to Russia to buy Greek government bonds, were rejected.
Assisting the indebted country would be equivalent to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have told Tsipras during their meeting.
Referendum Followed by Reversal
That summer, those excoriating bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, a move that plunged the EU into a further existential crisis.
Even though the referendum was carried resoundingly by those who opposed austerity, the prime minister was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a bailout package with foreign lenders that turned out to be more severe.
Final Straw
Tsipras claimed how he began to doubt Varoufakis quite early on.
“He was the face of negotiation, the man who drew publicity, who graced the covers of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”
When Varoufakis outlined a contingency plan that included creating a secondary currency as well as distributing vouchers to retirees, the leader knew it was game over and asked Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”
Lasting Rebuke
In the book, the author concludes that his former ally had proved himself “unsuitable for an agreement demanding intricate and sensitive management.”
He further claimed that Varoufakis's confrontational approach made him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, and helped hawks that were advocating Grexit.
This retelling of history has been met with fury and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has so far kept a deafening silence on the matter.
