Essays
The Past, Present & Post-Pandemic Future of DEBT – El Pais
, 10/06/2020
Before capitalism, debt appeared at the very end of the economic cycle; a mere reflection of the power to accumulate already produced surpluses. Under feudalism, production came first with the peasants working the land to plant and harvest crops. Distribution followed the harvest, as the sheriff collected the lord’s share. Part of this share was […]
One small step toward postcapitalism: A universal basic dividend to change the game’s rules – VIDEO by Sustainable Human
, 01/06/2020
Socialising part of capital’s returns is one small step toward a postcapitalism worth fighting for. A small step, yes. But a crucial one. You may also want to watch WHAT COMES AFTER CAPITALISM
A Chronicle of a Lost Decade Foretold – FilmsForAction & Project Syndicate
, 01/06/2020
ATHENS – To exorcise my worst fears about the coming decade, I chose to write a bleak chronicle of it. If, by December 2030, developments have invalidated it, I hope such dreary prognoses will have played a part by spurring us to appropriate action. Before our pandemic-induced lockdowns, politics seemed to be a game. Political […]
A chronicle of our BLEAK TWENTIES – Cambridge Union Online
, 24/05/2020
The good folk at Cambridge Union invited me to deliver a talk over the internet during our lockdown days. I chose to deliver a speech, or text, reciting what I fear might prove an accurate assessment of our BLEAK TWENTIES from the perspective of, say, December 2030. My great hope is that it is proven […]
Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar, Yanis Varoufakis & Richard Durbin and 300 other lawmakers call for a cancellation of developing world’s’ debt – Washington Post
, 13/05/2020
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) in a Wednesday letter addressed to Georgieva and David Malpass, president of the World Bank, called on international financial organizations to consider “extensive debt forgiveness” for more than 70 of the world’s poorest countries. The letter, which also called for significant fiscal stimulus to help stabilize […]
Covid-19 has “turbocharged” the EU’s failures – Interviewed by the NEW STATESMAN’s George Eaton
, 12/05/2020
For Yanis Varoufakis, lockdown has not been a time of contemplation. “I have more work now than I ever did. As you know, everything has shifted to Zoom meetings, which means zero separation between the private and the public,” he explained when we spoke recently, during one such video call. The 59-year-old economist, former Greek […]
In conversation with David McWilliams on the future after Covid-19 – The Guardian
, 08/05/2020
David McWilliams and I have had many conversations, often in front of large audiences in Ireland, on the economics and politics of Europe, Brexit, Ireland, Greece, the world. In this latest conversation we are discussing the impact of Covid-19 on capitalism. The extract below, published by The Guardian, comes from the last chapter of an […]
In conversation with Stephanie Kelton on Money and Progressive Politics, on DiEM-TV’s ANOTHER NOW – Ep.3, 27 APR 2020
, 28/04/2020
A week or so ago, Arundhati Roy wrote in, of all places the Financial Times, the following beautiful lines. I can think of no better way to explain why envisioning ANOTHER NOW is ever so important: “Our minds are still racing back and forth, longing for a return to “normality”, trying to stitch our future […]
DiEM25’s Vision of Europe for the post-Pandemic Era: Some personal thoughts
, 23/04/2020
DiEM25 was created in February 2016 because Europe was disintegrating as a result of a pseudo-technocratic takeover of the EU that was imposing austerity everywhere in response to the financial crisis caused by the EU pseudo-technocracy’s controllers. Today, now that a mindless virus has placed European capitalism in suspended animation, it is time to re-assess […]
What Comes After Capitalism? (VIDEO by Sustainable Human)
, 22/04/2020
Free market capitalism died over a 100 years ago and gave way to monopoly capitalism. Monopoly capitalism is now not even able to reproduce itself, let alone sustain the planet, common decency etc. But what comes next? Thanks to the good people at PATREON for putting imagery to my words. Support the creation of more […]
DiEM-TV’s ‘ANOTHER NOW’ with Yanis Varoufakis, Mondays at 20.00 CET | Ep.1 – Introduction to ‘Another Now’ & special guest Johann Hari
, 14/04/2020
Covid-19 has turned our lives inside-out, upside-down. It has put capitalism in suspended animation. It destroyed lives. It caused a new tsunami of poverty, demonstrated the deep class and race divides as some of us are privileged enough to be in isolation while an army of people out there labour for a pittance and at […]
On the toxic impact of the Eurogroup agreement of 9th April 2020 – With CNN’s Richard Quest (AUDIO)
, 13/04/2020
Discussing the toxic impact of the Eurogroup agreement of 9th April 2020 on Italy and Europe at large. Interviewed by Richard Quest on CNN’s Quest’s World
The EU’s new coronavirus relief deal is a gift to Europe’s enemies – THE GUARDIAN
, 13/04/2020
Europe suffered a historic defeat on Thursday night. After weeks of impasse, the Eurogroup gathering of finance ministers, whose countries share the euro, reached a decision on their collective response to the coronavirus pandemic’s economic impact. Besides constituting an epic dereliction of duty, the Eurogroup’s decision dealt a decisive blow to the foundations of the European […]
“The European Union Is Determined to Continue Making the Same Errors It Made After 2008” – JACOBIN interview
, 12/04/2020
The lack of EU help for the states hardest hit by COVID-19 is the latest sign of the hollowness of “European solidarity.” As Yanis Varoufakis tells Jacobin, the European Union’s institutions are hardwired to ignore the needs of the social majority — preferring to allow mass suffering than to change their own rules. Yanis Varoufakis is used […]
The Brown University Journal of PPE interviews Krugman, Pinker & Varoufakis on Inequality, Financialisation, and Populism
, 11/04/2020
JPPE: Many economists have their explanations about where inequality comes from, such as financialization, credit, globalization, technology, and bad policy. When thinking about the causes of inequality in the last thirty years, are there specific areas you think we ought to devote our attention to? Yanis Varoufakis: Well, there’s one word that answers your question: […]
For a global movement with a radical agenda – long interview in THE HINDU (its FRONTLINE magazine)
, 08/04/2020
In this interview, the first to Indian media, Yanis speaks elaborately on the 2019 British election, Brexit, the E.U. crisis, the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the global financial crisis, rising ultra-national forces, the need for a progressive international movement, the DiEM25, rising inequality and the Greek crisis. How important is this year’s U.S. presidential election […]
Why are they saying no to the eurobond? The case for constructive disobedience in the EU Council
, 30/03/2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTil8xccFJA
How deep will the Depression occasioned by Covid-19 be? Debate on BBC World Service’s THE REAL STORY
, 20/03/2020
Coronavirus: The economic crisis – Just how bad will the downturn be and can anything be done to soften the blow? Contributors Stephanie Flanders – head of Bloomberg Economics Yanis Varoufakis – Greek economist, politician, secretary-general of DiEM25 who also served as Greek finance minister during 2015Linda Yueh – economist and author of the book: ‘The Great Economists’ […]
Monetising misery & the future of capitalism – ABC Radio National, BIG IDEAS program
, 20/03/2020
Enormous global corporations and financial institutions are now, some say, more powerful than governments. Rules that once constrained and regulated capitalism have gone. And when their power causes massive destruction, the captains of Big Capital find ways to profit from the destruction. So, is modern capitalism, itself, a threat to capitalism? Or will corporations always […]
