Within his recently unveiled memoir, titled Ithaki, the former leader Tsipras does not hold back while he reflects on that chaotic period during Greece's economic turmoil.
An Unconventional Appointment
According to Tsipras's recollections, he appointed the maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis to be his treasury head primarily because of his global profile and his highly compelling skills when it came to communicator.
“He was, actually, more like a celebrity and less of an economist,” stated the 51-year-old.
Clashing Agendas
The former leader alleges how his finance chief had a personal motives which involved promoting Varoufakis's books and testing out his theories on Greece rather than genuinely fighting for its financial survival.
He noted that the talks to stave off insolvency were “not just a way to secure a better deal for the country. They were a test, an historic opportunity to prove the truth of his theories.”
Critical Negotiations
Amid volatile discussions, Greece came dangerously on the brink of leaving the eurozone.
On the line lay not only the country's future and the punishing austerity measures demanded in return for rescue loans by foreign lenders.
Unsuccessful Options
Efforts to secure financing from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.
Assisting Greece was equivalent to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have informed Tsipras during their meeting.
Public Vote and Reversal
In July 2015, those excoriating conditions were put to a public vote, an action which threw Europe into a deeper crisis of identity.
Although the vote was won resoundingly by voters who opposed the cuts, Tsipras was forced to ignore the result and negotiate a bailout package from creditors which turned out to be tougher.
Breaking Point
Tsipras claimed how he started questioning Varoufakis relatively soon.
“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the figure who attracted media attention, who graced the covers of publications the world over … it seemed he relished the spotlight.”
After the minister outlined a contingency plan involving establishing a parallel currency and issuing vouchers to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised that it was the end questioning him: “Is this for real?”
Enduring Rebuke
In the memoir, Tsipras asserts that his former ally demonstrated himself “unsuitable for an agreement demanding complex and delicate handling.”
He further wrote how Varoufakis's aggressive approach left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, while assisted hawks who were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.
This retelling of events has been met with anger along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has kept a conspicuous quiet on the matter.
