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Yannis Varoufakis tried to save Greece from the austerity imposed by the liberal establishment. Then he wanted to save the entire European Union.
Now motorbike-riding, leather jacket-wearing former greek finance minister turned his attention to Italy.
“If ever there was a moment, it is now,” the economist told Politico in an interview to mark the Italian launch of his pan-European political party. merry25,
The radical-left party was launched in the disproportionately lavish surroundings of the former Roman Aquarium, a 19th-century exhibition space and cultural centre, with cameos by Mera25’s celebrity backers Roger Waters of Pink Floyd and musician Brian Eno, who Dialed through video link.
As part of the left-wing Syrian-led Greek government in 2015, Varoufakis fought the so-called Troika and Europe-imposed austerity. While the Greek government eventually gave up, Varoufakis left the government and founded a cross-border far-left political movement. As well as Waters and Eno, supporters include activist Julian Assange, filmmaker Ken Loach, philosopher Noam Chomsky and Baywatch fame Pamela Anderson.
Varoufakis clearly prefers star-studded connections. “I just got [Eno’s] Latest album with a dedication to me,” he revealed.
You might expect a self-styled “irregular Marxist” to be disappointed by the recent elections in Italy, which returned a government led by Giorgia Meloni of Italy’s far-right Brothers. But while he expresses concern for the potential impact for minorities, Varoufakis believes the results show it is time to fundamentally rethink Europe’s political and economic system.
He claims that the vote shows that Italian voters are rejecting decades of centre-left and center-right governments, which have accepted “soul-crushing” EU policies and structures, which Italy down, they’re willing to try anything, they claim.
But as Meloni also refers to what Varoufakis has made as a “Faustian pact” with the establishment, indicating that she will work with Europe and remain loyal to NATO, in order to gain power, she will essentially be using her own power. Will be unable to fulfill poll promises, they argue. The resulting vacuum would make room for an international progressive party offering a completely different proposition “in the heart of Europe”.
The need for international politics is demonstrated by the global nature of recent crises.
“Debt crisis, banking crisis, climate crisis, geopolitical, energy, war, health,” Varoufakis says. “None of this can be solved at the national state level.”
Mera25’s policies, decided by its 150,000 members in a Europe-wide ballot, include a federal EU republic and replacing energy markets with a common green grid.
If Varoufakis had his way, NATO would be dead and buried. ,[It] No business exists. It is an affront to the idea of the EU that our security has been designated to a foreign power that has conflicting interests with our own,” he says.
Instead, Europe should be responsible for its own defense with its own military, he insists. Unless Europe leaves NATO “we will be completely subservient to US interests”
He said that sending more arms to Ukraine was “the definition of insanity” and that sanctions were “a joke”. Fueled by high energy prices, Russia’s war chest has grown since its invasion of Ukraine. “If you want to massage your conscience for ethical reasons, I can understand that, but sanctions are not working and will never work.”
As much as Italians are unlikely to see the need for yet another radical left-wing party, Varoufakis’ views may resonate with a portion of the Italian electorate. Most Italians oppose arms shipments and sanctions to Ukraine, a position that is likely to find further support as energy costs fuel winter outrage.
Varoufakis acknowledges that Mine 25 hasn’t even started yet.
His initial foray into cross-border politics, he says, was a movement to unite existing progressive forces called Diem 25, which failed because of the fragmented, transnational nature of the left. He said the months spent trying to unite Italy ahead of the 2019 European elections had made him lose the will to live. After a year and a half of failure he decided to focus on a party that would run in elections instead.
It narrowly missed out on being elected to the European Parliament in Germany, but its entry into the Greek Parliament is counted as a victory, especially as the party has been “brutally attacked” by former comrades from the left-wing Syriza party. “They tried to eliminate us because we were spoiling the broth for them.”
Varoufakis reflects: “We are by no means successful but we have to start somewhere… We are trying not so much to increase votes as to start conversations. … We want to demonstrate what international politics looks like.”