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• Reblogged this on Ya,ya,ya and commented:
  Greek bailout deal ‘a new Versailles Treaty’, says Yanis Varoufakis in first post-resignation interview , 13 deJulio

  “Entré en la oficina del primer ministro eufórico. Yo estaba viajando en una hermosa nube empujada por hermosos aires de entusiasmo del público por la victoria de la democracia griega en el referéndum. El momento en que entré en la oficina del primer ministro, sentí inmediatamente un cierto sentimiento de resignación, una atmósfera cargada negativamente. Me encontré con un aire de derrota, que estaba completamente en desacuerdo con lo que estaba pasando afuera.

  ‘En ese momento tuve que plantearle al primer ministro: “Si deseas utilizar el zumbido de la democracia fuera de las puertas de este edificio, puedes contar conmigo. Pero si por el contrario sientes que no puede manejar este majestuoso ‘no’ a la proposición irracional de nuestros socios europeos, simplemente desparezco. “‘

  In his first interview since resigning as Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis took aim at Greece’s creditors, revealed the extent of the country’s preparations to leave the euro and warned of the rise of the far right.

  Late Night Live reports.

  In his first interview since resigning earlier this month, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has described the 86 billion euro bailout deal agreed to by prime minister Alexis Tsipras as ‘a new Versailles Treaty’.
  In the coup d’état the choice of weapon used in order to bring down democracy then was the tanks. Well, this time it was the banks.

  ‘This is the politics of humiliation,’ he told Late Night Live. ‘The troika have made sure that they will make him eat every single word that he uttered in criticism of the troika over the last five years. Not just these six months we’ve been in government, but in the years prior to that.

  ‘This has nothing to do with economics. It has nothing to do with putting Greece on the way to recovery. This is a new Versailles Treaty that is haunting Europe again, and the prime minister knows it. He knows that he’s damned if he does and he’s damned if he doesn’t.’

  The deal, agreed to on Monday after 17 hours of talks with eurozone leaders, contains tough conditions including pension cuts, tax increases and the movement of public assets into a trust fund to pay for the recapitalisation of Greek banks.

  Mr Varoufakis rejected the deal in the strongest possible terms, comparing it to the 1967 coup d’état that installed a military dictatorship in the Mediterranean nation
  .
  ‘In the coup d’état the choice of weapon used in order to bring down democracy then was the tanks. Well, this time it was the banks. The banks were used by foreign powers to take over the government. The difference is that this time they’re taking over all public property.’

  Mr Varoufakis suggested that Mr Tsipras may call a snap election rather than bring the deal before the Greek parliament, saying he would be ‘very surprised’ if Mr Tsipras wanted to stay on as prime minister.

  He insisted, however, that he and Mr Tsipras remain on good terms, and that he has kept a low profile over the last week in order to support Mr Tsipras and his successor in the finance ministry, Euclid Tsakolotos.

  ‘I jumped more than I was pushed,’ said Mr Varoufakis, describing his resignation in the immediate aftermath of the ‘no’ vote in the July 6 referendum on bailout terms similar to those accepted on Monday.

  ‘I entered the prime minister’s office elated. I was travelling on a beautiful cloud pushed by beautiful winds of the public’s enthusiasm for the victory of Greek democracy in the referendum. The moment I entered the prime ministerial office, I sensed immediately a certain sense of resignation—a negatively charged atmosphere. I was confronted with an air of defeat, which was completely at odds with what was happening outside.
  ‘At that point I had to put it to the prime minister: “If you want to use the buzz of democracy outside the gates of this building, you can count on me. But if on the other hand you feel like you cannot manage this majestic ‘no’ to an irrational proposition from our European partners, I am going to simply steal into the night.”’

  The former finance minister also described the Greek government’s secret preparations to print drachmas in the event of the country being forced to leave the euro.
  ‘As a responsible government, knowing full well that there was a very significant alliance within the eurogroup whose purpose was to throw us out of the euro, we had to make contingencies,’ he said. ‘We had to have a small team of people in secret who would create the plan in case we were forced to exit the monetary union known as the eurozone.’
  ‘Of course, there is a conundrum (dilema) here. Once this plan begins to be implemented, once you go from five people working on it to 500—which is the minimum you need to implement it—it becomes public knowledge. The moment it becomes public knowledge, the power of prophecy creates a dynamic of its own … We never made that transition from five to 500. We never felt we had a mandate to do it. We never planned to do it. We had the design on paper but it was never activated.’

  Mr Varoufakis said that he will remain as a backbencher in the Greek parliament, where he has ‘a lot more room to manoeuvre and speak the truth’. He warned however, that austerity will further embolden the country’s far right. (Advirtió sin embargo, que la austeridad alentaría a envalentonarse a la extrema derecha del país.)

  ‘In parliament I have to sit looking at the right hand side of the auditorium, where 10 Nazis sit, representing Golden Dawn. If our party, Syriza, that has cultivated so much hope in Greece … if we betray this hope and bow our heads to this new form of postmodern occupation, then I cannot see any other possible outcome than the further strengthening of Golden Dawn. They will inherit the mantle of the anti-austerity drive, tragically.

  ‘The project of a European democracy, of a united European democratic union, has just suffered a major catastrophe.’

  http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/greek-bailout-deal-a-new-versailles-treaty-yanis-varoufakis/6616532

• Thank you again. Just if somebody wants to save these despite everything around us, how to say, ‘wonderful’ interviews with Phillip Adams, here is the direct link to download of the latest interview:
  http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2015/07/lnl_20150713_2205.mp3

  Or just head over to the website directly, and find both interviews, the hair-raising one with the national anthem of July 5 at the bottom – and the new one.
  http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/

  The direct to the interview of July 5 with Phillip Adams is here: linkhttp://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2015/07/lnl_20150701_2220.mp3

  • sorry, the links are somewhat messed up, but who wants will find both easily.

• Is not it irresponsible not to have planned a plan B?

  You say. “‘As a responsible government, Knowing full well That there was a very significant alliance Within the Eurogroup Whose purpose was to throw us out of the euro, we HAD to make contingencies,’ I Said ‘We had to have a small team of people in secret Who would create the plan in case We were forced to exit the monetary union Known as the eurozone. ‘
  ‘Of course, there is a conundrum (dilemma) here. Once esta Begins to be Implemented plan, eleven you go from five people working on it to 500-which is the minimum you need to Implement it-it Becomes public knowledge. The moment it Becomes public knowledge, the power of prophecy Creates a dynamic of Its Own … We never made That transition from five to 500. We never felt we had a mandate to do it. We never planned to do it. We had the design on paper but it was never activated. ”

  It is not meant to say “We never felt we had a mandate to do it” , after referendum with 61% NO

  That’s all for responsible government?

  Why do you think that the triumph of NO embittered Tsipras?

  • Syriza’s leaders have betrayed the Greek people and their NO votes in the referendum!

    Greek governement should just care about Greek people and not the bleak future of the European Dis-Union!

    The Germans and their frenetic allies should care about any negative outcomes of a Grexit for their Union.

    After all this I would not just support a Grexit from the Eurozone but even a Grexit from the European Dis-Union altogether.

• Yani,

  What did I say more a year ago on your blog here? Unfortunately time proved me right!

  >Aristoteles on June 17, 2014 at 10:27 said:

  >Yani,

  >The big problem of Alexis Tsipras is that he is a romantic pro-European.

  >He isn’t thinking about a Plan B and Plan C just in case our European “friends” will play hardball.

  >That’s why I think he is even dangerous for Greece because he lacks a sense of Realpolitik.

  AND ALSO I SAID THAT GERMANY’S AND SCHÄUBLE’S PLAN IS TO PUNISH GREECE!

  • Many said the same to Yanis but once his government was elected the patriotic duty was to support the present Greek government at all costs.

    I am sure there are details which Yanis can’t share yet because this negotiation is on going.