Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is to appear on Italy’s public TV channel RAI 3 for an interview with “Presa Diretta”, a talk show aired on Sunday evening. In the pre-taped interview he says that the Greek government is going to suggest a “New Deal” for Europe “like US President Roosevelt had done.” The new deal will be financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), increasing ten times the funds already allocated.
The show has already previewed excerpts from the interview on its website. In the preview, Mr. Varoufakis states that important Italian institutions have expressed their support but feel pressured not to outwardly show this because their country is also at risk of going bankrupt and they are worried of what the consequences of supporting Greece would be on behalf of Germany.
“The whole of Europe is covered in a cloud of fear,” he states. “We are at risk of becoming worse than the former Soviet Union.” He added that he hopes to open “a small door to the truth.”
“We cannot find the truth on our own, but we can open a door and move so that you can join us. This way, we will be able to leave the darkness of present austerity and enter into the light of a European rational and sober discussion.”
“It is all about ideas and proposals that concern the entire Europe, because we, the Greeks, don’t think that we have the right to ask for ourselves anything that will not be in effect for the Italians, the Portuguese or the Irish as well. Sooner or later, Chancellor Merkel will have to explain why she does not approve our proposals,” Varoufakis said.
