In a newly released personal account, titled Ithaki, the ex- leader Tsipras spares no criticism as he revisits the turbulent era during Greece's economic turmoil.
An Unconventional Choice
In Tsipras's version, Tsipras chose the maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis as his treasury head primarily due to his worldwide fame along with Varoufakis's very persuasive skills when it came to public orator.
“In reality, he was, actually, more like a celebrity rather than an economic expert,” wrote the 51-year-old.
Clashing Agendas
Tsipras suggests how Varoufakis possessed his own agenda which involved promoting Varoufakis's publications and experimenting with his own economic models using Greece instead of genuinely advocating its financial survival.
Tsipras wrote that those talks to avoid insolvency were “not only a way of achieving a better deal for Greece. They became a test, a monumental opportunity to prove the truth of Varoufakis's economic theories.”
Critical Talks
Amid rollercoaster negotiations, the country came perilously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.
On the line lay not only Greece's destiny but also the punishing cutbacks required in exchange for rescue loans by foreign lenders.
Failed Alternatives
Efforts to find funds from other sources, such as an urgent plea to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, went unanswered.
Helping Greece would be equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have told Tsipras in Moscow.
Public Vote and Reversal
In July 2015, those punitive bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, an action which threw Europe into a further existential crisis.
Even though the vote was carried decisively by voters who opposed austerity, Tsipras was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a rescue deal with creditors that turned out to be tougher.
Final Straw
The ex-PM claimed how he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.
“He was the face of the talks, the man who drew publicity, who appeared on the front pages of magazines globally … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”
When the minister proposed a contingency plan involving establishing a parallel currency and distributing coupons to retirees, Tsipras knew that it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”
Lasting Criticism
Within the memoir, Tsipras concludes that his former ally had proved himself to be “unfit for an agreement that required complex and delicate management.”
He further claimed that his confrontational approach made him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, and assisted hardliners that were advocating Grexit.
The retelling of events has been met with anger along with shock among certain groups, while the former minister has kept a deafening silence regarding these claims.
