In his first trip abroad since his appointment at the head of Greece’s finances there 5 days, Yanis Varoufakis chose France. Sunday 1 February, he had arrived at Bercy, determined to break the image of irreducible Greeks extreme left. The sporty look emphasized by a very close-fitting dress, elegant, but no tie, like his Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras who never wear, he spoke calmly, carefully, that tone teacher and faculty so natural for one who has taught for 25 years the economy around the world: Greece, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Belgium. Once or twice he had fun to wonder aloud if it was the teacher or minister who was speaking.
This perfect English which has become over the years the darling of Anglo-Saxon media (BBC, CNN, The Economist, The Telegraph), whose incessant tweets -including since he bagman – are widely relayed, used simple words and ideas unifying forces. Greece was shot at the money for years, it is “like a junckie calling for a new dose, it must help to wean.” But if he wants a development of monumental debt -175% of the PIB of his country, he does not want it at the expense of other countries. “Neither the German taxpayer or Irish or Spanish or French or European.” He was also willing to get help to reform its administration and finally curb tax evasion which the mine.
He spoke of “unity”, the “consultation” of “all work together around a table, “referred to the legendary Jean Monnet. A even mentioned “the European social contract.”
Citing its European road show, began in Paris and continues tomorrow in London and Rome, he observed, slightly provocative, having “look forward to go to Berlin, Helsinki, Madrid and Frankfurt “, the most restive fiefs to Syriza.
False tunes Bruce Willis
Minister false air of Bruce Willis, and smile very Californian, has however a little uptight when it came to Germany. With his counterpart Schäuble, there was a polite exchange but no invitation to see. “It’s going to be from one day to the other,” he launched wave. Where it is downright hard is when a question mentioned the risk of a break between the South of Europe, led by Greece anti austerity and North. Then he recalled the 1930s, the “risk of fragmentation,” stressing that the Greek Parliament n the 3rd political force “is not a neo Nazi party, but a Nazi Party.”
Another topic where it does not seem willing to compromise, it is the Troika. Like the Greek population, it does not want to hear about it. He wants to negotiate as equals, not with “technocrats”, but directly with the ECB, the European Commission and the IMF. Funds it opportunely recalled that his country was a founding member.
More teacher and minister at least the end of his performance, prompted by a question, he said he thought all evil ” as an economist “of the plane Juncker, adding that” it would be unfortunate if Europe does not know accept intellectual controversy. ” After an hour of questions and answers with the press came from all over Europe, atypical Yanis Varoufakis is gone, apparently happy to have distilled a calming message, even if it was felt that, at home, verbal jousting are true satisfaction. In the coming weeks, it might be fun.
Sabine Syfuss-Arnaud
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