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Greece Faced Withdrawal From Eurozone Two Times - Varoufakis

© REUTERS / Alkis KonstantinidisGreek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis delivers a speech during The Economist conference on "Europe: The comeback, Greece: How resilient?"
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis delivers a speech during The Economist conference on Europe: The comeback, Greece: How resilient? - Sputnik International
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Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said that Greece was a tool to hold other “proud nations” hostage in Europe and make them follow imposed policies.

Greece was twice on the verge of leaving the euro zone, in the summer of 2012 and the summer of 2015. However, the country has managed to conclude some preliminary agreements with international lenders, though on unreasonable conditions, Varoufakis said in an interview with German TV Channel ZDF.

Greek Finance Minister Yianis Varoufakis briefs the media after his meeting with Swiss Deputy Minister for International Financial Affairs Jacques de Watteville in Athens on April 28, 2015 - Sputnik International
Varoufakis: Eurogroup 'Completely and Utterly' Controlled by Germany
According to him, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was the leading figure among those who wanted Greece’s expulsion from the Eurozone. Greece was used as a tool to influence other “proud nations” in Europe and hold them together, Varoufakis stated.

Replying to the question of whether, he considers Schaeuble his worst enemy, he said: My worst enemy is the debt crisis that is destroying my country and makes it impossible for us to pay debt. 

According to Varoufakis, the inability to reach a decent agreement arose from the fact that the negotiating partners could not offer Greece any reasonable conditions.  

Earlier this week, Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalatos said that the Greek government hoped to finish the talks by August 18. On Thursday morning, the Greek parliament adopted a second set of reforms, required by the creditors to implement the new bailout plan for Greece and proceed with further negotiations.

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