Yanis Varoufakis on misogyny, resistance and why everything could be different
There is no reason our societies can’t change radically, to produce more of what we need and less of the things that are sowing the seeds of our own destruction, says Yanis Varoufakis.
On this episode of Follow the Money, we bring you highlights from the recent Australian tour of economist and author Yanis Varoufakis, with contributions from a cast of very special guests. Across live events in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, they discuss misogyny, political power, the erosion of Palestinian rights, and Yanis’ latest book, Raise Your Soul: A Personal History of Resistance.
Become an Australia Institute supporter today.
Guest: Yanis Varoufakis, economist & author // @yanisvaroufakis
Guest: Clare Wright OAM, Professor of History and Professor of Public Engagement, La Trobe University // @clarewrighthistorian
Guest: Randa Abdel-Fattah, Future Fellow in Sociology, Macquarie University // @RandaAFattah
Guest: Richard Denniss, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @richarddenniss
Guest: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis
Guest: Louise Adler AM, former Director, Adelaide Writers’ Week
Guest: Leanne Minshull, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @leanneminshull
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Raise Your Soul: A Personal History of Resistance by Yanis Varoufakis, Penguin Books (November 2025)
A Time for Bravery: What happens when Australia chooses courage?, Australia Institute Press (December 2025)
What’s the Big Idea? 32 Ideas for a Better Australia, Australia Institute Press (December 2024)
Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions: How the People of Yirrkala Changed the Course of Australian Democracy by Clare Wright, Text Publishing (October 2024)
Discipline by Randa Abdel-Fattah, UQ Press (September 2025)
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.
You might also like
How Inequality Creates Insecurity | Between the Lines
The Wrap with Dr Emma Shortis More often than not, Australia’s relationship with the United States highlights and reinforces the worst in our politics, and the worst in theirs. Here at home, the week began with some shamefully racist politicking by federal parliamentarians. A “hardline” Liberal Party immigration proposal was “leaked” to the Australian media. Straight from the Trump playbook, the
Why MAGA is here to stay | Between the Lines
The Wrap: Australia doesn’t need a strong Opposition, but it does need a strong Parliament “Australia is an ‘elective dictatorship’, an ominous term coined in the 1990s by David Hamer. Mr Hamer was a Liberal parliamentarian who served in both houses of Parliament (he was an MP and a senator). His point was that, between
Can we trust the USA? | Between the Lines
The Wrap with Dr Emma Shortis The President of Peace has started another war. It began with the bombing of a school in southern Iran. According to Iranian authorities, the death toll from that strike now sits at 168. Many of the victims were children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have normalised the sight of little coffins.