In The Eye of The Storm: The Political Odyssey of Yanis Varoufakis

Politics is broken… at a global level. Most of us can agree with that. But, can it be fixed, or are we doomed as a species? One outsider determined to take on the system is former Minister of Finance for Greece and co-founder of DiEM25 (Europe’s first transnational pan-European movement) Yanis Varoufakis. His journey and beliefs are chronicled in Raoul Martinez’s documentary, In The Eye of The Storm: The Political Odyssey of Yanis Varoufakis.

In The Eye of The Storm is not your usual documentary, as Varoufakis is not your typical politician. In 2010, the country of Greece declared bankruptcy, and the last thing angry creditors wanted Greece to do was default on their loans. So they gave the country “credit cards” to pay off those loans (it’s the housing crisis all over again).

In 2015, the Greek Prime Minister, who had just won his election by a landslide, begged the outspoken banking critic Varoufakis to be his minister of finance and negotiate a debt restructuring deal. The banks would have none of it, but the people stood behind the government to get a pact done. After a 62% approval by the Greek people to reject the bank’s deal, the prime minister suddenly changed his mind and caved to the bankers. Varoufakis did not want to be associated with this horrible deal and resigned in political disgrace.

In The Eye of the Storm is a six-part profile of Yanis Varoufakis. The first three episodes document his life and his brief six months as a political figure. Then, Varoufakis outlines what got Greece into its financial debt, how the banks desperately tried to keep Greece indebted to them, and how the government was feckless and weak to cause real change for their country.

“…Varoufakis outlines what got Greece into its financial debt…”

The final three episodes chart his journey to create and co-found a third party (DiEM25) in Greece and the European Union. Episode four is essentially a lesson in global economics and how power has been transferred from the people to the banks and mega-corporations. Varoufakis lays out a plan to radically change the power structure returning wealth, power, and influence to the people.

Listening to Varoufakis, you’ll quickly see he is not your typical politician. He is a progressive liberal, but he’s always at odds with the progressive left by calling out their alliances with big business and strengthening their power base. He has harsh words about Obama and his handling of the 2008 housing crisis. But he’s definitely not a friend of the neo-fascists on the right. To him, Trump is a fascist, and Biden sticks his hands on both sides of an issue. Varoufakis aligns himself solidly with Bernie Sanders.

Throughout In The Eye Of The Storm, I found that I can’t entirely agree with a lot of Varoufakis’ politics. But, I do agree with a lot of his positions. What struck me about the man is that he’s driven by principles more than by attaining power. Varoufakis finds himself reluctantly pulled into the battle because of his strong character and steadfast beliefs about the problem with the world’s economy and politics. He’s also concerned about the environmental catastrophe just on the horizon. He speaks from an informed viewpoint, not just reciting talking points. He’ll make a provocative statement and then explain it… like in a conversation.

In the end, I found myself to be a great admirer of Yanis Varoufakis. However, as someone who once stood on the far right, I was challenged personally by his words, beliefs, and convictions. You don’t have to agree with him at the end, but Varoufakis will challenge you to strengthen your beliefs and find common ground to make reasonable changes in this world. The jury is still out on whether a third party has a chance, but In The Eye of The Storm: The Political Odyssey of Yanis Varoufakis might just make you believe it does.

For screening information about In The Eye of The Storm: The Political Odyssey of Yanis Varoufakis, visit Yanis Varoufakis’ official website.