• Yanis Varoufakis wears a helmet as he leaves the prime minister's office in Athens on June 28, 2015. Aris Messinis / AFP
    Yanis Varoufakis wears a helmet as he leaves the prime minister's office in Athens on June 28, 2015. Aris Messinis / AFP
  • Yanis Varoufakis reacts as he speaks to the media following an emergency meeting of European finance ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Jasper Juinen / Bloomberg
    Yanis Varoufakis reacts as he speaks to the media following an emergency meeting of European finance ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Jasper Juinen / Bloomberg
  • Yanis Varoufakis arrives on his motorbike for a governmental council at the prime minister's office in Maximos mansion in Athens on June 21, 2015. Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters
    Yanis Varoufakis arrives on his motorbike for a governmental council at the prime minister's office in Maximos mansion in Athens on June 21, 2015. Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters
  • Yanis Varoufakis arrives for an urgent cabinet meeting at Maximos Mansion on June 28, 2015 in Athens, Greece. Milos Bicanski / Getty Images
    Yanis Varoufakis arrives for an urgent cabinet meeting at Maximos Mansion on June 28, 2015 in Athens, Greece. Milos Bicanski / Getty Images
  • Finnish finance minister Alexander Stubb talks with Yanis Varoufakis during a Eurozone finance ministers emergency meeting on the situation in Greece in Brussels, Belgium on June 27, 2015. Yves Herman / Reuters
    Finnish finance minister Alexander Stubb talks with Yanis Varoufakis during a Eurozone finance ministers emergency meeting on the situation in Greece in Brussels, Belgium on June 27, 2015. Yves Herman / Reuters
  • Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis waits for the start of a meeting of eurogroup finance ministers in Brussels on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Virginia Mayo / AP Photo
    Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis waits for the start of a meeting of eurogroup finance ministers in Brussels on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Virginia Mayo / AP Photo
  • Alexis Tsipras, Greece's prime minister, left, speaks with Yanis Varoufakis, Greece's finance minister, inside the Greek parliament in Athens, Greece, on Sunday, June 28, 2015. Kostas Tsironis / Bloomberg
    Alexis Tsipras, Greece's prime minister, left, speaks with Yanis Varoufakis, Greece's finance minister, inside the Greek parliament in Athens, Greece, on Sunday, June 28, 2015. Kostas Tsironis / Bloomberg
  • Yanis Varoufakis talks with MPs during a debate on the referendum in a plenary session of the Greek Parliament, in Athens, Greece, on June 27, 2015. Alexandros Vlachos / EPA
    Yanis Varoufakis talks with MPs during a debate on the referendum in a plenary session of the Greek Parliament, in Athens, Greece, on June 27, 2015. Alexandros Vlachos / EPA
  • Yanis Varoufakis speaks with International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde prior to a eurozone finance ministers meeting at the European Union Council headquarters in Luxembourg on June 18. Thierry Monasse / AFP
    Yanis Varoufakis speaks with International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde prior to a eurozone finance ministers meeting at the European Union Council headquarters in Luxembourg on June 18. Thierry Monasse / AFP
  • Yanis Varoufakis addresses a news conference after a Euro zone finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg on June 18, 2015. Francois Lenois / Reuters
    Yanis Varoufakis addresses a news conference after a Euro zone finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg on June 18, 2015. Francois Lenois / Reuters
  • Yanis Varoufakis awaits the start of the Ecofin finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg on June 19, 2015. Julien Warnand / EPA
    Yanis Varoufakis awaits the start of the Ecofin finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg on June 19, 2015. Julien Warnand / EPA
  • Yanis Varoufakis and interior minister Nikos Voutsis greet each other as they arrive at prime minister Alexis Tsipras' office at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece on June 28, 2015. Greek banks and the stock exchange will be shut on Monday after creditors refused to extend the country's bailout and savers queued to withdraw cash, taking Athens' standoff with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to a dangerous new level. Marko Djurica / Reuters
    Yanis Varoufakis and interior minister Nikos Voutsis greet each other as they arrive at prime minister Alexis Tsipras' office at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece on June 28, 2015. Greek banks and the stock exchange will be shut on Monday after creditors refused to extend the country's bailout and savers queued to withdraw cash, taking Athens' standoff with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to a dangerous new level. Marko Djurica / Reuters
  • Luis de Guindos, Spain's economy minister, left, speaks with Yanis Varoufakis, Greece's finance minister, as they prepare for the start of the emergency meeting of European finance ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Jasper Juinen / Bloomberg
    Luis de Guindos, Spain's economy minister, left, speaks with Yanis Varoufakis, Greece's finance minister, as they prepare for the start of the emergency meeting of European finance ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on Saturday, June 27, 2015. Jasper Juinen / Bloomberg

Testing times for Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis – in pictures


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As Greece edges ever closer to financial meltdown, we take a look at the country’s colourful and controversial finance minister.