Within his freshly published personal account, named Ithaki, the former premier Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits that turbulent period of Greece's debt drama.
An Unconventional Choice
In the ex-PM's version, Tsipras appointed that maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis as the treasury head primarily because of his international reputation along with his very persuasive abilities when it came to speaker.
“He was, in reality, more like a celebrity rather than an economist,” wrote the 51-year-old.
Clashing Agendas
Tsipras suggests that Varoufakis had a personal motives that involved advancing his books and testing out his own game theories using Greece instead of genuinely fighting for the country's economic stability.
He explained how those discussions to stave off bankruptcy were “not only a method of achieving improved terms for the country. They became an experiment, an historic chance to demonstrate the validity of Varoufakis's theories.”
High-Stakes Negotiations
Amid tense discussions, Greece came dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.
At stake lay not only Greece's destiny but also those severe austerity measures required in return for bailout funds by international creditors.
Unsuccessful Options
Efforts to secure financing from other sources, including a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.
Assisting the indebted country would be tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin reportedly told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Referendum and U-Turn
In July 2015, the harsh bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, an action which threw Europe into further crisis of identity.
Even though the referendum was won resoundingly by voters against the cuts, the prime minister had little option to ignore the result and negotiate a rescue deal with foreign lenders that turned out to be tougher.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed that he began to doubt his finance minister quite early on.
“He was the face of the talks, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the covers of magazines globally … it seemed he relished the spotlight.”
After Varoufakis outlined a backup strategy that included creating a parallel currency as well as issuing vouchers to retirees, the leader said he realised it was the end and asked him: “Are you serious?”
Lasting Rebuke
In the book, the author concludes how Varoufakis had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and sensitive handling.”
He further wrote that his confrontational style left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, and assisted hardliners who were pushing for Grexit.
The account of history has been met with fury along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
