After having insults thrown at him by European finance ministers at the eurogroup and vilified by international media Yannis Varoufakis run into trouble with some youths.
A group of about 30 youngsters verbally attacked and threatened with violence Yanis Varoufakis his wife Danae Stratou and a friend as they dined at a taverna in bohemian Exarcheia in central Athens. Exarcheia is fashionable with anarchist groups and students from the nearby Athens polytechnic university.
The minister was approached by several young men who told him to leave the neighbourhood because no government official is welcome there. As Varoufakis left the taverna a group of about thirty ‘anarchists’ confronted him. The finance minister told them that he used to live in the neighbourhood (probably before many of the youths confronting him were born) and that is one of the Athens areas he loves.
Varoufakis engaged in a heated discussion with the group and soon about 200 people gathered around. At the end of a thirty minute exchange of views, Varoufakis left smiling, after he was told that he would be welcome when he is no longer a member of parliament. A piece of cake after Schaeuble.
After the incident, Varoufakis told reporters that he is going to Exarchia often and he has lived there from 2000 until 2006. He said that he didn’t want to back down to the threats because it is his right to go wherever he wants.
Asked whether the incident would make him reconsider his decision not to have any police protection he replied that if he was escorted by security the incident could have easily escalated to a fully fledged riot.
