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Varoufakis' Father Defends His Son After EU Praises "Significant Progress" Without Finance Minister
It has been a bad week for the Greek finance minister: first, under pressure from Europe, Tsipras was forced to sideline the "combatied" Varoufakis from future Troika negotiations, then his wife had to protect him from an attack by "young anarchists", and now - adding insult to injury - an anonymous Greek government official as well as EU sources told AFP, Bloomberg and Reuters that, without Varoufakis present, Greece and its creditors have made "significant progress" and that there were "encouraging" signs from meetings over the weekend.
As a reminder, Greece is so desperate to get access to any money, last week its pensioners crashed a pension fund board meeting and formed long lines outside domestic banks demanding access to their cash which as delayed due to a "technical glitch."
But the far bigger problem is that in the coming three months Greece will need to make billions in interest and maturity payments to Europe.
Which is why having shown Varoufakis who is boss, Europe is now once again in generous mood and will likely give Greece just enough cash with which Greece can repay what it owes to, well, Europe.
According to AFP, the talks, which began Thursday, were the first led by economist and junior foreign minister Euclid Tsakalotos, who last week replaced the controversial Varoufakis as head of Greece's team of negotiators.
After months of acrimonious deadlock, "the revamped (Greek) Brussels group have clearly improved the process, with a clear schedule for the discussions... and with more experts present with more details," one source said.
"Talks are constructive," the source added. "I would even dare to say encouraging." They will continue on Monday and could last until at least Wednesday, "which is a good sign", the source said.
But while the Eurogroup has moved on from negotiating with Varoufakis, the Finance Minister still is confident he is in charge.
"Yes, I'm in charge. I'm still responsible for the talks with the Eurogroup," he told the weekly Die Zeit on Thursday.
"I'm supported by various government members, not least by good friend Euclid Tsakalotos. The fact that some media are portraying as if he is replacing me in the talks is just another proof of how low journalistic standards have sunk," he said.
...
Varoufakis claimed on Saturday that Greece could manage without a new "loan" if its debt was restructured.
Asked if it could do without bailout funds, Varoufakis told the Efimerida ton Sindakton daily: "Of course it can. One of the conditions for this to happen though, is an important restructuring of the debt."
He also took a swipe at the eurozone, warning that if it "doesn't change it will die", adding that "no country, not only Greece, should have joined such a shaky common monetary system."
Varoufakis is of course right. However, unless it gets some funds in the next days, if not hours, Grece will die first as the latest debt repayment schedule shows:
The reason why the Troika hatest Varoufakis: he tells the truth, even if he can't quite make up his mind how to get what he wants: "he said it was "one thing to say we shouldn't have joined the euro and it is another to say that we have to leave" because backtracking now would lead to "a unforeseen negative situation".
Sadly for Varoufakis, his star is now setting almost as fast as it rose, and while last week it was his wife who rushed to his defense, now it is his father's turn: "the maverick economist's 90-year-old father, who still heads one of Greece's leading steel producers, Halyvourgiki, jumped to his son's defence, claiming his European counterparts were jealous of him.
Giorgos Varoufakis told the Greek daily Ethnos that the minister's critics "want to run him down because he is competent. He is not like them. That is why they attack him.
"Yanis is a very good boy, and is always telling the prime minister what to do, which is why he adores him," he added.
And is also why Varoufakis' days as finance minister are numbered as long as Greece believes its future remains with the Eurozone, where the finance minister had made nothing but enemies.
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As Varoufakis goes, so goes Greece.
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Varoufakis is more masculine than the other finance ministers, and I suppose they resent his not groveling, as they feel is suitable.
They also don't see or acknowledge that the whole EU is going down the debt default hole, and he wants to manage that whole process.
They won't look at that. They will take their profits and get out, just before that day comes, or so they reason.
Last week he used his wife as a "human shield" from angry protesters while leaving a posh eatery.
Real class act. Must have the banker blood in his veins.
"Significant progress without Varafiukas" means Greece bent over and took it in the sinkhole, back to business as usual, shafted by the EU.
you got a factual link with photo's to that "human shield" comment or is that just your opinion in your pocket?
Just theater, Varoufakis carried the ball for the EU bankers as far as he could but there were some rumblings from the citizens (as well there should have been) and it was best to have him leave and pretend it was not because of the rumblings but because he was so opposed to the bankers (false). Now the new person can come in and be "reasonable" which will mean an increase in the speed the Greeks are sold out.
The plan it to play this game until the Greek citizens are so hungry and desperate that they do not revolt when their nation is sold out from under them for pennies and they become permanent serfs and renters. That is why Tsipras and Varoufakis raided the pension plans and have tried to raid all the local goverments of their little piles of funds.
You are wise.
It will either be a slow death, or the EU will, under false-flag pretenses, bring in ZATO, and/or instigate another war between Greece and Turkey. I.e. the EU cannot loose Greece to Russia and/or China.
If it were only about the debts, then the EU and/or ECB would allow Greece to cozy up to Russia and/or China so as to enable Greece to pay off the debts. The problem then being that Zion would loose a piece of their EU farm, and that they cannot have.
Liberty is a demand. Tyranny is submission.
and you try to put everything in the blender. particularly things that we europeans try to keep separate
in western europe, you'll find several dozen countries. fully sovereign countries according to our definition (the other definition which spooks ZH is just raw power)
for military defense purposes, some of them are in NATO, and some are not. once France even exited NATO, and later re-joined it
for commercial/regulatory purposes, some of them are in EU. which is either globalization... internally, or a trade block (which is the opposite, at least in theory), externally
for monetary purposes, some of them are in the EuroSystem, and use the EUR
why do you think we take such pains to keep the various clubs separate? on the other side, note how much propaganda is done in order to push the idea that "it's all the same"
and note that for both Russian hardliners and American hardliners, those clubs are there to be fought against. hence a sonorous "Fuck the EU" from both sides
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"The reason why the Troika hatest Varoufakis: he tells the truth, even if he can't quite make up his mind how to get what he wants: "he said it was "one thing to say we shouldn't have joined the euro and it is another to say that we have to leave" because backtracking now would lead to "a unforeseen negative situation"."
here I wholeheartedly disagree: the EuroCrat Varoufakis, FinMin of Greece telling the truth is not a reason to hate him
but having complex negotiations with someone that does not make his mind on how to get what he wants... well, it is a reason to complain, and ask the Greek Parliament and Cabinet to put someone in charge of negotiations that... does
except if your understanding of the issues is at kindergarden level, that is, including a death-wish of cataclismic break-downs and other childish unformed wishes
He certainly knows what he wants and has voiced it clearly many times over: Debt restructuring so Greece can stop taking in water. The Troika refuses to oblige because it wants to sink it and control it. Case close. No "kindergarden understanding or death-wish of cataclismic break-downs and other childish unformed wishes" necessary.
"Debt restructuring so Greece can stop taking in water"
and that's the core of the reason why Varoufakis is disingenuos. "take in water" suggests that this debt causes interest payments, now. three quarters of it... doesn't, until 2023
all those discussions would look differently if we were talking in public (and here) about numbers, and budgets, something Mr. V. studiously avoids
Hey Stumpy, wake up and smell the coffee, USSA citizens are already serfts and renters as they don't own their own property. If you don't believe me, stop paying your property tax and see what happens.......
I presume your $7000 per month is in Zimbabwe dollars in which case I wish you well.
Anyone here try Uber for a cab driver gig? I heard the money is good but I am skeptical.
I am trying to raise a few dollars for a new hairpiece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4_P0nQE8_8
FUCK the FUCK OFF j reuter AND ALL YOUR FUCKING BULLSHIT BRETHEN TOO THAT SELL THIS PONZI SHIT.
I CURSE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Varoufakis -
Bad news is you are first to go over the side of the ship
Good news - ship is named Titanic
So a completely untenable situation and un-payable debts are showing "significant progress" and are "encouraging"?
Did a Leprechaun with his pot o' Gold riding a Skittle shitting Unicorn swoop into Greece on a rainbow - or is this just more talk and people shuffling?
Does Mario Draghi count as a Leprechaun? Because he's got a pot full of Euros. Would like to see a Skittle shitting Unicorn though.....
Yeah, encouraging if your goal is to shakle Greece. Perspective...
My belief is that Varoufakis thought he could apply his matery of Game Theory to put something across the EU. Bad plan.
bet he has a huge schlong...just saying
All Greeks do, it's a well know fact. Greek women love it, Germans fear it.
Ya mas!
It's all a fucking theatre.
SYRIZA and that means BarouFuckis and his mate Tsipandreou, SIGNED ALL on the 23 of February.
We should NOT forget that BarouFuckis IS A MATE of the other Traitor in Chief GAP (George Andrea's Papandreou)
Everything is played out for the benefit of the Greek Sheeple.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF "DEMOCRACY" AND THE "DEMOCRATIC PROCESS" BEING DISMANTLED. THE UNELECTED TECHNOCRATS FROM THE ECB DICTATE WHICH ELECTED OFFICIAL IS "ACCEPTABLE" AND WHICH IS "UNACCEPTABLE". WHEN THERE IS NO LONGER ANY RESISTANCE TO FEUDAL DICTATE - THEN A NEW SYSTEM OF DICTATE HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED
WHEN WILL ZEROHEDGE RUN THAT ANGLE OF THE STORY?
Vournakis get a bad rap.
The man came to the European table with a pair of nines with Germany holding a royal flush; but , unlike other poker games, both parties know the hands of all the other players.
With a mandatre from the Greek electorate to stay in the Euro, don't default, what could he have done, negotiated with that mandate?
What they should do as call another election, or have a referundum, plebiscite on whether to leave the Euro or not.
Yes, the Greeks have been profligate, crafty,chronic tax evaders so deserve a portion of the blame, however, that's not exactly news: Greeks have been like that for centuries and the Europeans knew or ought to have known better to let them into the Club.
Game theory sounds 'neat', but when you have only a 'pair on nines' and everyone else knows it,'game theory' it isn't worth a fuck.
Give the man the credit he deserves; he went against Goliath and failed, as anticipated-no reason to despise the man.
Greece could have and should have sent the whole bleeding casino broke five years ago but Papandreou had neither the balls nor the brains to at least threaten that course of action.
Greece would have been hailed as another Alexander the Great who instead of trying to undo the Gordion knot simply cut it.
And herein lies the unlearned lesson for all if us because this whole sordid financial mess cannot be solved by treatment but only by amputation of its every evil, malinvested, leveraged limb.
As for the Europeans they pretend they hold a royal flush when in fact they have nothing more than a couple of jokers.
The electorate is stupid. The Greeks, especially "civil" servants, cops, first reponders, politicians and other parasites, want to stay in the euro for their Euro pension. The pubic sector of these workers is supposedly the majority of the greek economy.
So these pubic sector workers and pubic sector pensioners want to stay in the Euro.
The rest of the greeks eating out of garbage cans do not count. They will never leave the Euro.
What pension?
The old man is not a fool. Among other things he wrote a book titled ANCIENT GREEK STANDARDS which highlights the very precise rules that were established in Ancient Athens to ensure quality in everything from metals, food and money. A poignant reminder of how far Greece has slipped in 2500 years.
I said Kabuki, not Bozouki!
Varoufakis junior should not be judged just yet,
Let's see what happens to Greece after the "new deal" is consumated.
Well : Ponder this:
Greece will get out of the EURO anyway.
So when it is kicked, Varoufakis will come back center-stage.
Perhaps as prime minister?
it is a badge of honour to be disliked by euro finance ministers.
Ask his dad how much in taxes he pays.
I like the Greek notion of not paying taxes. If Germany wants to,pay Greek taxes then good for Germany.Whats the problem?
Good Cop Bad Cop, bad cop goes for Coffee, yawn...
Let's hope the spanish are less willing to dance along to the stuffed olive overture's of the junta running the EU.
To make $7000 a month you'd have to suck off at least 15 cocks a day
Unless ur sucking elliot spitzers cock who intends later to improve his image & bust u for being such a whore as to suck on his almighty political hypocritical judgement day cock!
Why don't troika pick a panel of suitable Greek negotiators in anticipation that they might finally arrive with the candidate of choice and save the public time and money.
For example the way they chose the Government of Ukraine, in particular , the Treasury.
Those shipping magnates are determined along with the military to keep the stockpiles of weapons as a budget priority.
Goldman and MIC are forever reminding their accomplices that if ever the Greeks grow a pair then they'll come in handy.
lol, because the "Troika", i.e. the EU, the IMF and the ECB chose the Government of Ukraine, in particular the Treasury?
what part of Victoria Nuland's "Fuck the EU" did you not understand?
it's ok for me if you say that the Ukraine Gov "is a puppet of the West", or a "Western vassal".
but implying that the EU countries got what they wanted in Ukraine is just... hilarious. or it would, if it wasn't so damn sad
nothing about Ukraine is going the way europeans wanted. nothing
Ukraine is a proxy-war battlefield between America and Russia, with us europeans sidelined by both main sides
Europeans sidelined?
You mean having sanctions against Russia in place -still although you forecasted they would be withdrawn by now- counts as sidelined?
Tell us what Europe needs to do so you don't count them as sidelined anymore!
And shouldn't the question be
what part of Victoria Nuland's "Fuck the EU" did the EU not understand?
Well, there goes the cushy gig in Brussells
The guy is a quack doctor, stop treating him as some kind of oracle.
We have erratic marxists like this guy by the dozen in Latin America.
Erratic, confused, verborhagic and ineffective in handling Greece's economic falloff. Must know how things work.
Significant Progress = Greeks caving in
Riddle me this Tyler: Who is going to go to the Eurogroup a little more than a week from now? What kind of grimace is Dijsselbloem going to make when he finds out? Has Greece gone back on any of its red lines after Varoufakis got 'sidelined'? Why did Tsipras meet with Varoufakis today if he's out of the picture? Why could Varoufakis go among normal citizens during May 1st rallies without any sort of escort if he's so down on his luck, has failed and so on?
Piece of garbage article. Stop taking your bullet points from the press, start looking at actual facts. Unless you're a paid shill in which case go right ahead.
Well, at least we know Varoufakis was actually the real deal heh.
This guy is trying to fuck the banksters. Why are the ZH faithful on his ass? Should be rooting for him.
It's because we're so smart and don't trust anyone.
We got reasons though, but the distrust comes first, and we're sticking to it.
The EU can negotiate with whomever they want. It does not mean that the technocrat they assign to represent Greece can actually represent Greece in a deal.
Greece should take the money, pay back nothing and pay their pensioners.
Safe to assume then that Yanis was supportive of the Russian oil pipeline deal. After this is over, assuming Greece doesn't do a King Minos and disappear under the waves, Yanis's memoirs will be interesting.
"Significant progress" in securing another loan to pay off another loan - all loans of course being secured on valuable state assets, in return for more 'privatisations' for pennies on the dollar, more cuts in spending and tax rises ('reforms') to pay for that extra 'interest' for a while longer, and all by creating Euros out of thin air, looting the country and its people.
If they "make a deal", the politicians are bought and paid for already, as I said a while back.
They could easily get around all this by creating a 1% gold backed Drachma, and that would be truly socialist!
The loans to Greece are loans by the creditors to pay the same creditors, OK make Greece's day, dont give more loans, then watch the debt pyramid scheme collapse all over Europe, GB, italy, Holland, Spain, italy, Ireland, Austria all overindebted .
Why do they think they can pressure Greece? they have more to loose. Why is Greece even taking part in these silly negotiations presided by Dijsselbloem arguably the dumbest fool and a minister of a country less than half Greece's size.
Varoufakis is a giant amongst pygmies. He is aware that he is dealing with psychopathic elites, who are the types to step over starving people in the streets demanding the streets get cleaned up. These people are unelected robber barons who will have to be removed by force. The caballists are losing power and the victory of the light is only a short time away.