In a personal statement, Varoufakis said the attacks began after his resignation from the finance ministry in 2015 and intensified over time. He argued that persistent hostile coverage by what he described as mainstream media created an environment in which abuse against him became socially acceptable.

Varoufakis said he had anticipated hostility from powerful economic interests after leaving office, stating that he had opposed further bailout agreements. He added that he had expected attacks from major media outlets, which he attributed to their owners’ reaction to the events of 2015. However, he said he had not foreseen what he described as a more dangerous development: the normalisation of personal attacks against him by a wide range of actors.

According to Varoufakis, repeated insults and accusations gradually conveyed the impression that it was permissible to attack him ‘below the belt’, including spreading false claims, using abusive language and even engaging in physical assaults in public spaces without consequences. He said this atmosphere created what he described as a form of implicit permission to target him.

He further claimed that this attitude was not limited to political opponents, but had also been adopted, often unconsciously, by figures on the Left, including people he respects and former political allies. Varoufakis referred to criticism and accusations from across the left spectrum, including former colleagues, members of the Communist Party of Greece and activists from the extra-parliamentary Left.

The statement concludes by saying that the cumulative effect of these experiences prompted him to put his account on record, following the latest television incident.

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