Controversial former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis said his idea for a “parallel system” of payments was greeted quite positively when he presented it as far back as 2013 to leftist SYRIZA party’s leadership, including Alexis Tsipras.
The mercurial Varoufakis, who led the leftist-rightist coalition government’s failed negotiations with creditors in the first half of 2015 and ultimately left the government prior to the snap election in September 2015, underlined that he unveiled his “IOU” framework in the presence of today’s Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos – who succeeded him – current deputy PM Yannis Dragasakis and Economy & Development Minister Giorgos Stathakis.
Varoufakis has increasingly criticized his former colleagues in the current coalition government in recent months, including in published books.
Taking to the local airwaves over the weekend, however, Varoufakis said the first presentation was held at SYRIZA’s party offices in 2013, followed by a meeting at Tsipras’ apartment in November 2014 – less than three months after a failed bid to elect a figurehead president of the republic by the Greek parliament’s MPs triggered a snap election, which leftist SYRIZA easily won.
It’s at the second meeting that Varoufakis claims he was offered the finance portfolio – which meant heading up negotiations with creditors – and asked to submit his proposal in writing.
The result was a 10-page report replete with specifications, he said.
Varoufakis spoke on the Athens-based Skai broadcaster.
