Greek PM Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday went on the offensive against his ruling party’s “internal opposition”, indirectly singling out two former top ministers — Varoufakis and Lafazanis — he recently replaced after their very public disagreement with the third bailout deal with creditors.
“If some people believe that the alternative leftist plan is the Schauble Plan (i.e. Grexit) or lifting the stockpile of ECB banknotes, or giving pensioners little IOU slips instead of pension payments, let them come forth and explain this to the people,” Tsipras said, essentially challenging both Yanis Varoufakis and Panagiotis Lafazanis to present their proposals and criticism.
The self-described “erratic Marxist” and former FinMin Yanis Varoufakis has continued his unrelenting press appearances and blog posts since resigning his ministry post and voting against a framework agreement to usher in a new bailout memorandum for crisis-plagued Greece.
Lafazanis, the unofficial head of the virulently anti-capitalist and radical communist Left Platform within ruling SYRIZA party, was the energy and production minister until he was replaced. He also voted against the agreement and was even reported to have recommended a “raid” against the national treasury to collect billions in ECB-circulated euros as a prelude to a return to the drachma (though he denied these reports).
Varoufakis, on his part, was sharply criticized for allegedly promoting a California-style “IOU” payment system as liquidity was running out in the domestic banking system — without, however, belonging to the … United States.
In comments to his closest aides, Tsipras also remembered hard-line German FinMin Wolfgang Schauble, whose proposal for a temporary “Grexit” generated a firestorm of controversy, mostly by other Eurozone partners outside the “German orbit”.
“They (dissenters) should not hide behind my signature,” he was quoted as saying, calling for whatever proposals, “Plan Bs” or “alternative plans” to be brought before the people.
“I am absolutely aware of the fact that I assumed responsibility for a difficult compromise; a compromise, however, that keeps us alive to continue to fight,” he underlined.
