Former Prime Minister Tsipras Claims Varoufakis Was ‘Inappropriate’ as Greece's Finance Minister Amid Financial Meltdown

Within his recently unveiled memoir, named Ithaki, the former leader Alexis Tsipras pulls no punches while he reflects on that turbulent era during Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Choice

In the ex-PM's account, he appointed that unorthodox academic Varoufakis to be the treasury head mainly because of the latter's global profile along with his highly compelling skills when it came to public orator.

“In reality, he was, in reality, more of a celebrity rather than an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.

Conflicting Priorities

Tsipras suggests how Varoufakis had his own agenda which involved advancing his publications as well as experimenting with his own game theories using Greece instead of genuinely fighting for its financial survival.

He wrote how those talks to stave off insolvency were “not just a way to secure a better deal for Greece. They became an experiment, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his economic theories.”

High-Stakes Talks

During rollercoaster negotiations, Greece came perilously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.

At stake lay both Greece's destiny but also the punishing cutbacks demanded in exchange for rescue loans by foreign lenders.

Unsuccessful Alternatives

Attempts to secure financing elsewhere, including an urgent plea to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, were rejected.

Helping Greece would be tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly told Tsipras in Moscow.

Public Vote and U-Turn

That summer, the excoriating conditions were put to a popular referendum, a move which plunged Europe into a further crisis of identity.

Even though the vote was won resoundingly by voters against austerity, the prime minister had little option but to reject its outcome and negotiate a rescue deal from foreign lenders which proved to be even harsher.

Breaking Point

The ex-PM claimed that he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the face of the talks, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the front pages of publications the world over … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”

After the minister proposed a contingency plan that included establishing a parallel currency as well as issuing vouchers to retirees, the leader said he realised that it was game over questioning him: “Are you serious?”

Lasting Criticism

Within the memoir, Tsipras asserts that his former ally had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal demanding complex and delicate management.”

He further claimed that his aggressive approach made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hardliners who were pushing for Grexit.

This account of history has provoked fury and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has kept a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.