Within his freshly published memoir, named Ithaki, the former premier Tsipras pulls no punches while he revisits that turbulent period during Greece's financial crisis.
An Unconventional Choice
As per Tsipras's recollections, he selected that maverick academic Varoufakis to be his finance minister primarily because of his worldwide fame and Varoufakis's highly compelling skills as a public orator.
“He was, truthfully, more like a personality rather than an economic expert,” wrote the 51-year-old.
Clashing Agendas
Tsipras suggests that his finance chief possessed his own motives which involved promoting his books as well as testing out his game theories on Greece rather than truly fighting for the country's financial survival.
He noted how the talks to prevent insolvency were “not only a method to secure improved terms for Greece. They were an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the validity of Varoufakis's economic theories.”
Critical Negotiations
During tense negotiations, Greece came dangerously close to exiting the eurozone.
At stake lay not only the country's destiny but also those punishing cutbacks required in return for rescue loans from international creditors.
Failed Options
Efforts to find funds elsewhere, including a desperate plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.
Assisting Greece would be tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Referendum Followed by Reversal
In July 2015, those excoriating conditions were subjected to a popular referendum, an action which plunged Europe into deeper existential crisis.
Although the referendum was carried resoundingly by those who opposed the cuts, Tsipras had little option to ignore the result and negotiate a bailout package from foreign lenders that turned out to be tougher.
Breaking Point
The ex-PM revealed that he began to doubt Varoufakis quite early on.
“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the figure who drew media attention, who graced the front pages of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he was enjoying the spotlight.”
When Varoufakis proposed a contingency plan involving creating a parallel currency as well as distributing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised that it was game over questioning him: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
Within the memoir, Tsipras asserts that his former ally had proved himself to be “unfit for an agreement that required complex and sensitive handling.”
He also wrote that Varoufakis's aggressive style made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while assisted hardliners that were advocating Grexit.
The account of history has provoked fury along with shock among certain groups, while the former minister has maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
