Foreign Affairs
Related: About this forumIn defence of Yanis Varoufakis -- Mohamed El-Erian
From blaming him for the renewed collapse of the Greek economy to accusing him of illegally plotting Greeces exit from the eurozone, it has become fashionable to disparage Yanis Varoufakis, the countrys former finance minister. While I have never met or spoken to him, I believe that he is getting a bad rap (and increasingly so). In the process, attention is being diverted away from the issues that are central to Greeces ability to recover and prosper whether it stays in the eurozone or decides to leave.
That is why it is important to take note of the ideas that Varoufakis continues to espouse. Greeks and others may fault him for pursuing his agenda with too little politesse while in office. But the essence of that agenda was and remains largely correct.
Following an impressive election victory by his Syriza party in January, Greeces prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, appointed Varoufakis to lead the delicate negotiations with the countrys creditors. His mandate was to recast the relationship in two important ways: render its terms more amenable to economic growth and job creation; and restore balance and dignity to the treatment of Greece by its European partners and the International Monetary Fund.
These objectives reflected Greeces frustrating and disappointing experience under two previous bailout packages administered by the institutions (the European commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF). In pursuing them, Varoufakis felt empowered by the scale of Syrizas electoral win and compelled by economic logic to press three issues that many economists believe must be addressed if sustained growth is to be restored: less and more intelligent austerity; structural reforms that better meet social objectives; and debt reduction.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/29/in-defence-of-former-greek-finance-minister-yanis-varoufakis
Eugene
(61,900 posts)Source: The Guardian
Helena Smith in Athens
Wednesday 29 July 2015 17.29 BST
The scene has been set for possible criminal charges to be brought against Greeces former finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, following revelations of his secret plan to establish an alternative currency in the event of the country leaving the eurozone.
The nations most senior state prosecutor, Efterpi Koutzamani, ordered the Greek parliament to examine an array of complaints brought by private citizens against Varoufakis. The supreme court prosecutor, who played a leading role in putting the far right Golden Dawn party on trial, also asked a magistrate to investigate whether criminal charges should be brought against non-political figures who allegedly hacked taxpayers accounts to set up the parallel payment system.
I would not want to be in Varoufakiss shoes, the conservative MP and shadow finance minister Anna Asimakopoulou said. I think that it is highly likely he will end up in a courtroom.
As a sitting MP, the economist-turned-politician enjoys immunity from prosecution. But the prosecutors move paves the way for criminal charges to be brought against him if parliament determines there are grounds to establish a special congressional committee to probe the allegations.
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/29/yanis-varoufakis-may-face-criminal-charges-over-greek-currency-plan
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Business News Blather.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)They are after him now.