Varoufakis resigns as Greek finance minister
Yanis Varoufakis announced his resignation as Greece’s finance minister on July 6, saying that some Eurogroup participants “and assorted ‘partners'” wanted him out of meetings and so he was quitting to help prime minister Alexis Tsipras reach a deal on the country’s debt.
His announcement came on the morning after the “no” vote in the Greek referendum, which Varoufakis said would “stay in history as a unique moment when a small European nation rose up against debt-bondage”.
“Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted ‘partners’, for my… ‘absence’ from its meetings; an idea that the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement. For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today,” Varoufakis said.
“I consider it my duty to help Alexis Tsipras exploit, as he sees fit, the capital that the Greek people granted us through yesterday’s referendum,” he said.
“And I shall wear the creditors’ loathing with pride,” Varoufakis said.
He said that he would support fully prime minister Tsipras, the new finance minister, and the Greek government.
“The superhuman effort to honour the brave people of Greece, and the famous OXI (NO) that they granted to democrats the world over, is just beginning,” said Varoufakis, who ahead of the election had pledged to resign should there be a “yes” vote.
(Photo of Varoufakis: German Federal Ministry of Finance, Jörg Rüger)
