Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister and leftwing intellectual, has criticised his “ridiculous prosecution” after being charged for publicly admitting he took an ecstasy pill nearly 40 years ago. The 64-year-old was indicted on Wednesday with “inciting others in the illegal use of narcotics”, a charge that carries a minimum six-month prison sentence and fines of up to €50,000 (£44,000). A court hearing is set for December.
Varoufakis, who spoke about the experience on a podcast in January, described the indictment as indicative of a far-right turn in western politics. In a post on X, he said: “My ridiculous prosecution must be seen within the wider, west-wide surge of an insidious new form of fascism.” He accused Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of appointing “neo-fascists” to top posts and using the courts to harass political opponents.
The charges stem from Varoufakis’s candid remarks on a podcast, where he recalled taking ecstasy at a Kylie Minogue concert in Sydney in 1989. He said: “I’m not like Bill Clinton who ‘did not inhale’. I inhaled. I took ecstasy once. It was an amazing experience until a few days later when I had an incredible migraine.” He also admitted to still being partial to cannabis, though he said he could not find any.
Critics accused Varoufakis of abusing his status as a role model, but drug abuse expert Charalampos Poulopoulos argued the comments were protected speech. “Several times in the past, public figures have talked about their experience with substance use in their youth without it being considered a criminal offence,” said Poulopoulos. “This very surprising prosecution neither serves the common good, nor public interest.”
Varoufakis’s small leftwing party, MeRA25, narrowly failed to enter parliament in June 2023, but he retains appeal among young voters. In a statement, the party vowed to tackle addiction, while Varoufakis said he was “honoured” by the persecution, calling on people worldwide to stand together against the far-right.
