Varis Yaroufakis: 'I wear the creditors’ loathing with pride'; New minister 'a change in style, not substance'
Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany's finance minister (left), looks daggers at Varis Varoufakis during a news conference in Berlin.
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By Varis Yaroufakis, Greece's former minister of finance
July 6, 2015 – Thoughts on a Post-2008 World, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal – The referendum of July 5, 2015, will stay in history as a unique moment when a small European nation rose up against debt bondage.
Like all struggles for democratic rights, so too this historic rejection of the Eurogroup’s June 25 ultimatum comes with a large price tag attached. It is, therefore, essential that the great capital bestowed upon our government by the splendid NO vote be invested immediately into a YES to a proper resolution – to an agreement that involves debt restructuring, less austerity, redistribution in favour of the needy, and real reforms.
Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted "partners", for my … "absence" from its meetings; an idea that the [Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras] judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement. For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today.
I consider it my duty to help Alexis Tsipras exploit, as he sees fit, the capital that the Greek people granted us through yesterday’s referendum.
And I shall wear the creditors’ loathing with pride.
We of the left know how to act collectively with no care for the privileges of office. I shall support fully Prime Minister Tsipras, the new minister of finance, and our government.
The superhuman effort to honour the brave people of Greece, and the famous OXI (NO) that they granted to democrats the world over is just beginning.
July 7, 2015 – Real News Network – New Greek finance minister a change in style, not substance.