🔗 Share this article Former Prime Minister Tsipras Claims Yanis Varoufakis Proved ‘Inappropriate’ as Greek Treasury Chief During Debt Crisis In a freshly published autobiography, named Ithaki, the ex- leader Alexis Tsipras pulls no punches as he reflects on the chaotic era during Greece's debt drama. An Unconventional Choice In the ex-PM's version, he selected the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis to be the finance minister mainly due to his global profile along with his highly compelling skills when it came to communicator. “He was, truthfully, more of a celebrity and less of an economist,” recalled Tsipras. Conflicting Agendas Tsipras suggests how Varoufakis possessed a personal agenda that included promoting his books and testing out his game theories on Greece rather than truly fighting for the country's economic stability. He noted how those discussions to prevent insolvency became “not just a method to secure improved terms for Greece. They became an experiment, an historic opportunity to demonstrate the validity of Varoufakis's ideas.” High-Stakes Negotiations During tense discussions, the country came dangerously on the brink of leaving the single currency area. On the line was both Greece's future and the severe cutbacks required in exchange for financial aid from international creditors. Unsuccessful Alternatives Efforts to find funds elsewhere, including an urgent plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground. Assisting Greece was tantamount to throwing money in the trash-can, Putin reportedly told his Greek counterpart during their meeting. Referendum and U-Turn In July 2015, those harsh bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, a move that plunged Europe into deeper existential crisis. Although the vote was carried resoundingly by those who opposed the cuts, the prime minister had little option but to reject its outcome then negotiate a bailout package from creditors which turned out to be tougher. Final Straw Tsipras revealed that he began to doubt his finance minister quite early on. “Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the man who drew media attention, who appeared on the covers of magazines globally … it seemed he relished the spotlight.” When the minister proposed 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 In the book, Tsipras concludes that his former ally had proved himself “unsuitable for a deal demanding intricate and sensitive handling.” Tsipras further wrote that his confrontational style left him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, while assisted hardliners who were pushing for Grexit. This account of events has been met with anger and stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas the former minister has so far maintained a deafening silence on the matter.