Within his recently unveiled personal account, titled Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras spares no criticism while he reflects on that turbulent period during Greece's financial crisis.
An Unconventional Appointment
As per Tsipras's account, he appointed the maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis to be his treasury head largely because of his international reputation along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” abilities when it came to communicator.
“In reality, he was, in reality, more like a celebrity and less of an economic expert,” stated the 51-year-old.
Conflicting Priorities
The former leader claims that his finance chief possessed a personal agenda which included promoting his publications and testing out his own game theories using the nation instead of truly advocating the country's economic stability.
Tsipras wrote how those talks to stave off bankruptcy became “not only a way to secure a better deal for Greece. They were an experiment, an historic chance to prove the truth of his economic theories.”
Critical Negotiations
Amid rollercoaster discussions, Greece came dangerously close to exiting the eurozone.
On the line was both Greece's destiny but also those harsh cutbacks demanded in exchange for bailout funds from international creditors.
Unsuccessful Alternatives
Attempts to find financing elsewhere, including an urgent plea to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.
Helping Greece was tantamount to tossing cash into the garbage, Putin is reputed to have informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote Followed by Reversal
In July 2015, the excoriating conditions were put to a public vote, a move which threw the EU into further existential crisis.
Even though the vote was carried decisively by those who opposed the cuts, Tsipras was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a rescue deal with creditors which turned out to be tougher.
Breaking Point
The ex-PM revealed how he started questioning Varoufakis relatively soon.
“He was the face of the talks, the man who attracted publicity, who appeared on the front pages of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”
When the minister outlined a backup strategy involving creating a secondary currency as well as distributing vouchers to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised that it was game over questioning him: “Is this for real?”
Lasting Criticism
Within the memoir, Tsipras asserts that his former ally had proved himself to be “unfit for an agreement that required complex and sensitive handling.”
Tsipras also claimed that his aggressive style made him increasingly isolated among peers, put Greece at risk, 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, whereas the former minister has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.
