ROME — Less than two weeks after taking power in national elections, Greece’s leftist-led government is now taking Europe. Fashion critics in London are debating whether the Greek finance minister is an arbiter of cool chic or looks like a nightclub bouncer. Politicians in Brussels and Berlin are mulling whether the new Greek prime minister is a radical looking to bring down the eurozone or a canny operator looking for a deal.
Europe’s politics of austerity, while vitally important, tend to be mind-numbingly technical. But the Greeks are making things interesting, in unexpected ways, as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the new finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, take a tour of European capitals to seek political support for renegotiating the terms of Greece’s bailout — while also managing to turn a lack of neckties into adroit political marketing.
Even as the Greeks are facing a rapidly shrinking window of time to cut a new deal, or face a possible national default, Mr. Tsipras seems to be betting that European politics are shifting in his favor. His election, coming as left-wing and right-wing populist parties gather strength across the Continent, has forced European leaders, especially in Germany and other northern countries, to confront the broadening public disillusionment in southern countries about the belt-tightening policies put in place after the 2009 economic crisis.
“They are forcing some of the issues into the open and making it hard for northern European countries to avoid the discussion,” said Simon Tilford, deputy director of the Center for European Reform in London.
The political calculations of the Greek road show have been evident from the itinerary, with early stops in countries seemingly more inclined to lend support. Mr. Varoufakis has visited Paris, where French leaders have been pushing against budget restrictions tied to austerity policies. He also paid a call on Britain, which is not a eurozone member but is a critical center of private investment for Greece. Mr. Varoufakis arrived here on Tuesday to meet with the Italian finance minister, while Mr. Tsipras came to meet with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
In a joint news conference Tuesday evening, Mr. Renzi noted that he had some differences with the new Greek leader but that the two men, both 40, represented a new generation. He joked that now it was Mr. Tsipras’s turn to be regarded as a “dangerous man,” much like the criticism that Mr. Renzi faced during his first year in office.
“Alexis’ arrival is a blessing for me,” he said.
The Greek itinerary has prompted many analysts to speculate that the new government is trying to construct a “Mediterranean coalition” against Germany and the European north — a theory that the French and Italians sought to dispel. Finance Minister Michel Sapin of France warned that Greece would not be able to pit his country against Germany, even though the French have expressed support for some Greek positions. Mr. Renzi had also rejected any notion of a coalition of southern countries.
Indeed, the Greek leaders on Tuesday confirmed that they would travel to Brussels and Berlin. Mr. Tsipras is to meet in Brussels with Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, on Wednesday before traveling to meet President François Hollande of France. Mr. Varoufakis is to visit Germany on Wednesday and Thursday to meet with Mario Draghi, chief of the European Central Bank, and with Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble.
Mr. Varoufakis has emerged as a provocative, telegenic presence. On matters of substance, he has spoken about European creditors financing a “bridge” agreement to help fund the Greek government while it attempts to renegotiate the terms of its bailout, worth 240 billion euros, or about $276 billion. But it is Mr. Varoufakis’s style that has attracted extra attention. In London, as he arrived to meet with George Osborne, the button-down chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Varoufakis wore a leather jacket, an untucked blue shirt and black slacks.
“Untucked shirt as he meets Osborne,” screamed the newspaper The Sun. Imogen Fox, head of fashion for The Guardian, declared the outfit “incongruous” but noted that “international politics welcomes a new contender for the title of sharp dresser.”
Casual dress is clearly a way that the new Greek government signals its anti-establishment credentials. (Some commentators on social media praised Mr. Varoufakis for dressing like a regular person.)
Mr. Tsipras, who never wears a tie, swept into power with his left-wing Syriza party on broad promises to repeal many of the stringent provisions attached to the Greek bailout, even if doing so violated the terms of the loan agreement negotiated by previous Greek governments. He reinforced his stance by forming a governing coalition with Independent Greeks, a right-wing nationalist party that strongly opposes austerity measures.
The new government has already halted privatization projects, most notably for the port of Piraeus, while asking for the resignations of the managers of the state privatization agency. Moreover, the government has pledged to reinstate 10,000 civil servants who were fired under austerity policies and to raise the minimum wage to €751 from €586.
Critics have warned that Mr. Tsipras, by repealing some of the cutbacks linked to the bailout, could undo structural reforms in the public sector pushed by European creditors and steer Greece back toward a model dominated by the state. Even potential allies, such as France and Italy, are likely to blanch if Mr. Tsipras seeks sweeping changes beyond debt relief through better repayment terms or more flexibility on budget restrictions.
“If the request is, ‘Let’s stop reforms, let’s stop privatizations,’ then I would imagine that Renzi would be less on the side of the Greeks,” said Elena Carletti, a professor of finance at Bocconi University in Milan. She added, “Greece can’t ask for everything.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Renzi was careful to note that Greece must fulfill its commitments to structural reform. But he also emphasized that the European Union must focus on growth, “not only austerity,” and that the “vast majority” of European citizens support that direction.
In Greece, the depth of public scorn for austerity policies is visceral. Days after the election, many Greeks rejoiced about a tense news conference between Mr. Varoufakis and Jeroen Dijsselbloem of the Netherlands, the head of the group of eurozone finance ministers.
During the news conference, Mr. Varoufakis declared that Greece would no longer negotiate with the auditors overseeing the enforcement of bailout terms, but would talk only directly with the leaders of Greece’s creditor institutions, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Seemingly shaken, Mr. Dijsselbloem spoke briefly and then left, pausing for a brisk handshake with a smiling Mr. Varoufakis.
Greek news stations gleefully replayed footage of the awkward handshake, as did Greek comedy shows. The composer Mikis Theodorakis exulted on his personal website, saying the moment had helped restore a modicum of national pride.
“We once again become beautiful Greeks,” Mr. Theodorakis wrote. “We stand taller.”
Ultimately, though, the realities that existed before the Greek elections remain in place, and some analysts believe that Mr. Tsipras is already moderating his demands as he presents himself to the rest of Europe as a responsible leader, rather than a radical. During the campaign, Syriza demanded that European creditors write off nearly half of Greece’s debt, but Mr. Varoufakis has since indicated that negotiating better repayment terms is now the primary goal.
“They are trying to gradually shift, in a way that doesn’t leave them with a total loss of credibility in the eyes of their voters,” said George Pagoulatos, a professor of European economy and politics at Athens University. “They are a left-wing, radical government that is forced to govern in a very constrained environment. Now they are seeing how difficult that is.”
Mr. Renzi, at least, tried to be optimistic in his appearance with Mr. Tsipras. The new Greek leader has reportedly pledged to wear a tie only on the day that Greece’s debt problems are resolved. Mr. Renzi presented him with an Italian-made necktie for when that day finally comes.
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