Banks Are Deadlier Than Tanks

BY ARNO LUIK  / STERN

BERIN, July 29 – Former Greece Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has felt since early childhood like a  political animal. “This has to do with my family,” Varoufakis tells  Stern .

His father was (1946-1949) was prisoner in a camp during the Greek civil war for four years. and was “brutally tortured repeatedly”. “The reason: He had refused to denounce communists.He was a liberal, educated in the spirit of the French Revolution..”

Translation / Stern

An uncle of Varoufakis was “sentenced to death. Something politicial.”

During the Junta period (1967-1974) in prison, Varoufakis’ mother was, however, after the World War, “a member of a right-wing terrorist organization. She hated all left.”

One of her duties as a member of this organization it was, to spy on Varoufakis ‘father’ – so that is how they met.”

Germany was a connection to freedom. For Germany Varoufakis has a close relationship.

“When I was three years old, I began to learn German. And then, during the military dictatorship, I secretly listened to the broadcasts of Deutsche Welle under the covers with my parents. That was our connection to freedom.”

During the seven-year junta rule he “spent holidays in southern Germany and Austria – it was a short flight from the dictatorship” every summer with his family.

Developing a parallel currency

Varoufakis also commented in the interview about his time as finance minister. At the height of the financial crisis, he had considered the introduction of a parallel currency in Greece, he said.

“On this subject I have built my academic career.”

But the introduction was not easy: “All you need is all possible resources. Know-how.

Has Greece anyway?

It was in these mind games always the aim is to strengthen our negotiating position “

Varoufakis had the feeling of being in a war.

“A financial war. Today you do not need tanks to defeat someone. They have their banks,” he tells the Stern .

“We had from January a War Cabinet – five to six people who dealt with the scenario of Grexit.” Together they “studied all possible scenarios, played them out and then discarded.”

That, as rumored, the funds theCentralBank wanted to pay pensions, denies Varoufakis: “We have never thought of such a thing as a break.  We are not adventurers.” 

Respect for Schäuble

In the meetings he pursued “psychological warfare at all levels”.

He had always been quiet. They “often are rude, rude and uncouth to” Varoufakis told the Stern .

“Schäuble is always ready to explode and be very sharp. I once experienced as he went after up the Eurozone chief Dijsselbloem – it’s not a beautiful sight.”

“With me he has never done, he was always very friendly. I appreciate it, I like Wolfgang. And he appreciates, I think my expertise. “

Schäuble knows exactly what he wants, “and he says it openly: an authoritarian Europe, much less welfare state.”

Varoufakis, who is well known for his expertise with  economic game theory, said  yesterday:

“In this game, I was naked, Schäuble was a heavily armed gladiator. You can still be as smart as you want, but if your opponent is sitting in a tank and you stand in front of the gun barrel, it will not help even the best arguments. “

Disappointed by Sigmar Gabriel

Varoufakis is deeply disappointed by SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel First, like I was “as among brothers. “There was not a hint of disagreement. It was fantastic, as if I was talking to a SYRIZA member. A comrade. And then, shortly thereafter, I watch him ridicule us. Unbelievable.”

Dark looks Varoufakis the future of Europe. 13 July, at which the Greek government accepted the third bailout package, he considers as “the biggest attack on democracy since the end of World War II”.

On this day, says Varoufakis, “the values, ideals and principles of democracy were buried.”

Translation / Stern

Meine Mutter war Mitglied einer rechtsradikalen Terrororganisation