Alexis Tsipras says Yanis Varoufakis was unsuitable' as Greek finance minister during debt crisis

"He was, in reality, more of a celebrity and less of an economist, recalled the 51-year-old, who described handpicking the maverick as his finance minister because of his international reputation and extremely attractive skills as a public orator. I wanted to send the message of hard negotiation, but I underestimated the human factor. Very quickly, Varoufakis turned from being an asset into a negative protagonist."

"Not only could our potential allies not stand him, neither could his own colleagues. In a chronicle of events that has been quick to send ripples through Greece, Tsipras, who appears bent on staging a political comeback two years after renouncing the leadership of the Syriza party, said it was clear the Greek Australian academic had a personal agenda that included promoting his books."

Yanis Varoufakis prioritized testing his game theories and a personal agenda over securing Greece's immediate financial survival during debt negotiations. His celebrity status and powerful oratory initially seemed advantageous but quickly alienated potential allies and government colleagues, turning him into a liability. High-stakes talks with Germany and other fiscal hawks pushed Greece close to exiting the eurozone. Efforts to find alternative funding, including appeals to the Kremlin, failed. The standoff threatened the country's future and increased the likelihood of punishing austerity measures tied to international rescue loans.

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