In this unfiltered exchange between Yanis Varoufakis and Frankie Boyle, ideas collide with humour, rage, and history. Varoufakis recounts calls with Ken Loach (“We of the Left are such losers”), the meltdown of unity on the progressive side, and his plea for a new political force that “belongs to the future.” He traces how his father’s refusal to sign a loyalty oath during Greece’s dictatorship shaped his own defiance as finance minister — refusing to sign bailout papers backing Europe’s banks.
From insider confessions about the authoritarianism within the Left to strategies for real Scottish independence, the talk veers between tragedy, farce, and firebrand critique. There are calls for nationalizing utilities, creating a public investment bank, and even for Scotland to print its own currency — “Call it the Boil. It will punish who deserves to be punished.”
Frankie Boyle’s sharp wit keeps pace with Varoufakis’s moral fury in a conversation that is part political inquest, part dark comedy, and part blueprint for a radical future.
Event description:
Join the legendary economist and former finance minister of Greece, Yanis Varoufakis, for a powerful tale of resistance and political awakening: a beacon of hope for dark times.
The motorcycle riding Marxist finance minister became a worldwide icon of the Left when he stood up to the EU during the Greek Debt Crisis, and today he is both the founder of the European grassroots political movement DiEM25 and one of the most exhilarating radical thinkers we have, equally adept at skewering the Big Tech oligarchy and sharing bold and provocative new visions of a just and equal world.
He joins to explore how the great forces of history shape us – and how the resilience and courage of his family, from his mother Eleni to his partner Danae, inspired him on his political journey. In conversation across the UK, with special guest interviewer Frankie Boyle, he will share both an intimate portrait of his political awakening and offer a thrilling sweep through Greece’s history – from Nazi occupation and communist partisan resistance, to civil war, fascist dictatorship, and tumultuous present-day economic collapse.
Don’t miss this powerful, personal tale of struggle and endurance from one of the most iconic leaders of our time.
Yanis Varoufakis is an economist, political leader and the author of numerous bestselling books: Talking to My Daughter: A Brief History of Capitalism; Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism, which shows how the owners of big tech have become the world’s feudal overlords; Adults in the Room, a memoir of his time as finance minister of Greece; an economic history of Europe, And The Weak Suffer What They Must?; and Another Now: Dispatches from An Alternative Present. Born in Athens in 1961, he was for many years a professor of economics in Britain, Australia and the USA before he entered politics. He is co-founder of the international grassroots movement DiEM25 and a Professor of Economics at the University of Athens.
Frankie Boyle is one of The UK’s premier comedians and writers. Known for his shows New World Order (BBC2), Tramadol Nights (Ch4) and his best selling DVD’s and Netflix Special. Frankie has penned 3 best selling books. In 2018 Frankie wrote and presented the highly acclaimed documentary Frankie Goes To Russia for the BBC previewing the forthcoming Russian World Cup. Frankie also regularly contributes articles for the broadsheet press. He has topped the podcast charts with the first three volumes of his eight volume Promethiad sequence.
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