About his book entitled “Ithaca” and the process of writing it, he spoke Alexis Tsipras at podcast Bookvoice with him Emilio Cheilakis and him Lampropoulos cavedescribing his work as both personal and political path of self-awarenessbut also a debt to history.
The former Prime Minister explained that the writing of the “Ithaca” he had for that character redemption and internal restructuring: “This book has a debt character against historybut it also has a character of purification, self-awareness, re-approaching the truth and facts. It was like I recharged my batteries through writing the facts and putting my own truth on paper,” he said.
He emphasized that “the book it was written once and second and third time”, as his aim was to capture the events with as much objectivity as possible. “I haven’t left anything out. I tried to be as objective as possible and as less unfair to people and events,” he noted.
“A former prime minister writing in the present tense”
Alexis Tsipras emphasized that “Ithaca” differs from the usual political memoirs, as it is written in the present tense: “The peculiarity is that no former prime minister writes in the present tense. Everyone writes in the past tense. I do my self-criticism, but I also criticize,” he said characteristically.
The former prime minister also referred to the symbolism of the book’s title, stressing that “Ithaca” is not a destination, but a continuous journey that concerns both politics and life: “Ithaca is not a destination, it is a perpetual journey. This concerns each of us. Because we all experience our own Odysseys and have our own Ithacas”, he noted.
As he explained, the title also acquires a philosophical dimension, as “it is connected to the adventure that every person has by fighting, claiming, hoping, dreaming and conquering some of them”.
“It’s time to talk”
Referring to the period after his departure from the leadership of SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras pointed out that he felt the need to share his own perspective on the events: “When I decided to resign, I had in my mind that the moment is coming when I have to speak. Because many people – foreigners and Greeks – have spoken about this dramatic period of Greek modern history”.
He also described the process of writing as psychotherapeutic and redemptive, saying: “For me this whole process had a character of redemption, purification, self-knowledge. And yes, indeed the part of the story, when the experience is transferred to paper, has a special charm”.