In a newly released personal account, called Ithaki, the ex- leader Tsipras spares no criticism as he revisits the turbulent period of Greece's financial crisis.
An Unconventional Choice
According to Tsipras's recollections, Tsipras chose the unorthodox economist Varoufakis to be the treasury head mainly due to his global profile along with his highly compelling skills when it came to speaker.
“In reality, he was, actually, more like a star rather than an economic expert,” stated the 51-year-old.
Clashing Priorities
Tsipras suggests that his finance chief possessed a personal motives that involved promoting Varoufakis's publications as well as experimenting with his own theories on Greece instead of genuinely advocating the country's financial survival.
He explained how the talks to prevent bankruptcy became “not just a method of achieving a better deal for Greece. They became an experiment, an historic opportunity to demonstrate the validity of Varoufakis's economic theories.”
Critical Negotiations
Amid rollercoaster negotiations, Greece came dangerously close to exiting the eurozone.
At stake lay not only the country's destiny and the punishing austerity policies demanded in exchange for financial aid from foreign lenders.
Unsuccessful Alternatives
Attempts to find financing from other sources, including a desperate plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.
Helping Greece would be equivalent to throwing money into the garbage, Putin is reputed to have told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote and U-Turn
That summer, those harsh conditions were put to a popular referendum, a move which threw Europe into a deeper crisis of identity.
Although the vote was won resoundingly by those against the cuts, Tsipras was forced but to reject its outcome and negotiate a rescue deal from creditors which turned out to be more severe.
Final Straw
Tsipras claimed how he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.
“He was the public image of negotiation, the man who drew publicity, who appeared on the covers of magazines globally … he gave the impression he relished his new role.”
When Varoufakis outlined a contingency plan involving creating a secondary currency as well as distributing vouchers to pensioners, the leader said he realised it was the end questioning Varoufakis: “Are you serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
Within the book, the author asserts that his former ally had proved himself “unfit for a deal demanding complex and delicate handling.”
He also wrote how his aggressive style left him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, and helped hardliners that were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.
The account of history has been met with fury and shock among certain groups, while Varoufakis has kept a deafening silence regarding these claims.
