Former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras Claims Yanis Varoufakis Proved ‘Unfit’ for the role of Greek Treasury Chief During Financial Meltdown
In a recently unveiled memoir, named Ithaki, the ex- premier Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits the turbulent period during Greece's debt drama.
An Unconventional Choice
According to the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras selected that maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis to be the finance minister primarily due to his worldwide fame and his very persuasive skills when it came to speaker.
“In reality, he was, truthfully, more of a personality and less of an economist,” stated Tsipras.
Conflicting Priorities
Tsipras alleges how his finance chief had his own motives that involved promoting his publications and experimenting with his own theories using the nation instead of genuinely fighting for its economic stability.
He noted how the talks to avoid bankruptcy were “not just a method to secure improved terms for Greece. They became an experiment, an historic chance to prove the validity of Varoufakis's ideas.”
High-Stakes Negotiations
During volatile discussions, Greece came dangerously close to exiting the single currency area.
On the line lay both the country's future but also the punishing austerity policies demanded in exchange for bailout funds by international creditors.
Unsuccessful Options
Efforts to secure funds from other sources, such as a desperate plea to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.
Helping the indebted country would be equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, the Russian leader is reputed to have informed Tsipras during their meeting.
Referendum Followed by Reversal
In July 2015, those excoriating bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, an action that plunged Europe into deeper crisis of identity.
Although the vote was carried decisively by those against the cuts, the prime minister was forced but to ignore the result and negotiate a rescue deal from creditors which proved to be more severe.
Breaking Point
The ex-PM claimed that he began to doubt Varoufakis quite early on.
“He was the face of the talks, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the covers of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he was enjoying his new role.”
When Varoufakis proposed a backup strategy that included creating a secondary currency as well as distributing coupons to retirees, Tsipras said he realised that it was the end and asked him: “Is this for real?”
Lasting Criticism
Within the memoir, Tsipras asserts that Varoufakis had proved himself “unfit for an agreement demanding intricate and delicate handling.”
He also claimed that his confrontational approach left him more and more alone with colleagues, put Greece at risk, while assisted hardliners that were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.
This account of events has been met with anger along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, whereas Varoufakis has kept a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
