Yanis Varoufakis went deep into discussion among hundreds of Sydneysiders on numerous subjects, shedding light on his recent indictment in Greece, the current political climate and his latest book influenced in great part by his political mentor, his mother.
The Greek economist and politician spoke in front of a filled-out crowd at the NSW Teachers’ Federation building in Surry Hills on Friday evening in an-conversation event led by Greek Australian journalist Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos.
The discussion event, organised as part of the 44th Greek Festival of Sydney, touched on many topics, with his latest book ‘Raise Your Voice’ a significant one that he admitted stood out from his past writings.
“The joy of this book is it was the first book I didn’t intend to write,” Varoufakis said during the event.
The former Greek Minister for Finance revealed that he turned to writing during a low time in his life during late 2023 – early 2024 as a means of alleviating his depression.
He remarked that he was also inspired to write something directed at his mother due to feeling guilt that his previous book ‘Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism’ was written as a long letter to his father.
“My mother was my political mentor. It wasn’t my father,” he said.
In the process of writing the book, he was inspired to tell a story that covered a 100-year period of Greece (1923-2023) and so the book grew to include four other women: his maternal and paternal grandmothers, his first wife’s grandmother, and his current wife.
“I ended with a 100-year history where I, a man, am trying to see the world through these women’s eyes,” he said.
The conversation shifted to other areas, including his thoughts on the current state of fascism around the world with him specifically addressing the predicament in Greece.
He noted that Greece is one of the few countries wherein the traditional right-wing party (Νέα Δημοκρατία or New Democracy) is not facing a serious challenge from a fascist party at the coming elections.
“In Greece, what Mitsotakis has managed to do, this is why he is unassailable and seems to be riding high when he is disliked, is he has kept the fascists in the government,” Varoufakis said.
He also touched on his book ‘Technofeudalism’ and AI, wherein he expressed his view that there is a significant danger when tools such as that are controlled by the 0.001% (the elite).
Varoufakis addressed the indictment he is facing for the comments he made in relation to his drug use in Sydney back in 1989 when he took ecstasy.
He recounted the interview he made the comments, speaking to his daughter’s friend who brought up the topic of drugs and asked if he had done them before.
After following up with a question of any interesting stories, he shared his ecstasy experience and, though admitting to having migraines afterwards, cautioned people to be wary of addiction rather than saying outright ‘don’t do drugs’.
“That was distorted by the government as me promoting drug use because I didn’t say it is a bad thing, that it is not pleasant,” Varoufakis said.
“The whole point of drugs is they are pleasant. People would not be taking it if it wasn’t pleasant. The problem is it is pleasant.”
The politician expressed that the neoliberals in the Greek government think it is absurd, suggesting Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis would also say the same but that the indictment is a means of appeasing the fascist base of his party.
He went on to make a prediction of what will happen, saying “I am going to be convicted, they will give me a fine which I will not pay so I may end up behind bars, and then I will be acquitted on appeal”.
“That is my timeline. I am preparing for that, I hope it doesn’t happen but I won’t be surprised if that happens. In the meantime, I will run for elections, and hopefully be elected.”
During the event, Varoufakis shed light on the subject for his next book which would be a sequel to ‘Technofeudalism’ and concern the change in warfare wherein traditional weaponry is made obsolete and substituted for drones and AI.
He also touched on the current situation surrounding US-Iran and the US-Israel relationship.
The event closed with a brief Q&A session.
