11th September 2030:

Carried by a light breeze, I was walking in the deserted streets of Athens where nobody had begun his day. Weather was nice, sky was blue, city was silent, I could easily hear my heart: it was beating so hard. In fact, I was waiting for this interview since (minimum) 2026: crucial date when Greece breathed again. And I hope forever.

With firm steps, I turned right and saw this amazing building where I would meet my speaker. Despite the fact that I have been a journalist since 2001, I felt anxious about what was going to happen on that day. As everybody knew in my entourage, I was always fascinated by the economists’ world. That is why I decided to become, at the age of 17, an economic journalist. During that period, financial crisis absolutely rocked the entire world and, for the young Belgian girl that I was, torment me a lot. The future of a particular country interested me: Greece. This country which was indebted for centuries… Politics had borrowed a lot and had pushed the European Union in terrible quicksand.

But, luckily, one man allowed Greece to go up the slope. One man with whom I ever wanted to speak. He had removed his nation‘s economy out of its torpor: Yanis Varoufakis. This politician was the Minister of Finance of the Alexis Tsipras’ Government. And finally, after years of studying, my move to Athens, I was going to interview this politician in five minutes. At that time, next to the main door of the house, my nails sank into the palms of my hands. I crossed a large corridor, stopped in front of an office and waited. I heard a voice: “Come in”.

Yanis Varoufakis, 68 years old, was comfortably sitting behind a desk. I introduced myself and began the questionnaire.

“Hello Mr. Varoufakis. I’m so happy to meet you. As you maybe know, I’m here today to talk with you about the drastic methods that helped the economy in Greece in 2026. I’m sure that, after 4 years, that’s not the first time that somebody asked you this question. But, I’m a journalist for a newspaper addressed to teenagers, The Europeans of tomorrow, which decided to write a magazine about Greece. They have to understand the amelioration of the country since 2015”, I said. Mr. Varoufakis looked kindly at me. Young retired man, he probably felt happy to give information about what he did ten years ago and finally concluded in 2026. He wanted to talk to teenagers and not only recomended solutions to European politicians.

 “I’ve got time and if you have it too, I can speak about all the solutions that we found to save Greece from death. Is it okay for you?”, Varoufakis asked.

“I am all ears”, I said.

“Perfect. Firstly, we changed term loans to perpetual loans. Indeed, it was totally impossible for Greece to refund its creditors (Germany, France, etc.) in a couple of years. The country knew that situation in the European Union was catastrophic for the states, and also for the people, but he was unable to raise the economy. Now, we have got time: 200 years to finish paying our debts. It is quite understood that countries which helped us, receive interests.

Secondly, the Minister of the Economy, Finances and Industry (located in Bercy, France) decided in 2019 to send detached people from different nations to reorganise the land registry. Before that, lots of Greeks didn’t pay their taxes. It was one of the factors that sank the government. For example, but relax, things have changed, shipowners had not to pay their taxes. They could become richer and richer, while the other Greeks were suffering. Same problem with the Church.

Moreover, the IMF, managed by Christine Lagarde in 2015, gave bonuses to intellectuals (doctors, professors, engineers, etc.) to get them back to Greece. Those intellectuals had left the settlement because jobs were untraceable at that period. Now, things have changed… They had to come back with their families and that’s what they did.

I also want to talk with you about a mission that I personally managed. In 2024, the initiative was difficult to organise but we deal with it. More specifically, The Hellenic Navy (naval force of my country) helped the European Union, especially Italy and its island of Lampedusa, to control the immigration of Asian and African disarmed people. Indeed those immigrants arrived illegally on our continent. To deal with them, the Union gave founds to Greece and its army. Amounts of money also helped our country to be out of trouble.

I think that you have the main arguments to write your magazine. Isn’t it?”

After I thanked him, I went back home. On the path, I whispered: “11th September 2030, exactly one hundred years later after Hitler’s coming to power, following the legislative elections. Times of trouble in Europe are dead, times of solidarity are born.”