The “special place in hell” that EU Council President Donald Tusk says is reserved for Brexiteers is not that different to the one for those who devised the EU monetary union, ex-Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis believes.

Replying to the controversial metaphor used by Tusk on Wednesday, the no-nonsense Greek economist turned it against the EU Council president by reminding him of the failings of the European monetary union.

Probably very similar to the place reserved for those who designed a monetary union without a proper banking union and, once the banking crisis hit, transferred cynically the bankers' gigantic losses onto the shoulders of the weakest taxpayers. — Yanis Varoufakis (@yanisvaroufakis) February 7, 2019

Critics have slammed the EU monetary union, of which the eurozone is a part, for forcing austerity-driven budgets on member states – and Varoufakis has had first-hand experience in this regard. As Greek finance minister in 2015, he tried to push back against a massive EU bailout plan, which was heralded as a lifeline for the country’s economy, which had been wrecked by the 2008 financial crisis.

While it stabilized the Greek economy, the bailout left it 25 percent smaller than when the crisis started, and it was staring at several decades of harsh austerity in order to repay its debts. Now, three-quarters of Greeks think the plan harmed their country.

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On Wednesday, Tusk’s “special place in hell” comment attacked “those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it safely” both in an address to reporters in Brussels and in a tweet.

However, according to Varoufakis’ tongue-in-cheek take on the afterlife, Tusk’s own colleagues could end up roasting next to the Brexiteers, as the EU Council effectively signs off on members states’ budgets.

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