I think you got carried away. Schäuble is not a liberal but a conservative, for whom "rules" have a much stronger meaning. And even the "rules" mantra is not Schäuble's actual thought but a smokescreen narrative provided by Spiegel (and originating with Schäuble himself): Schäuble is not some retired school teacher struck in old ways but a seasoned manipulator who in truth has no trouble with the concept of changing the rules when it suits his agenda (think enhanced police powers).

Schäuble's and Spiegel's goal is to divert from a counter-narrative, which would be:

Varoufakis is the newest finance minister in the Euro Group; Schäuble has served the longest. Varoufakis is a professor of economics, a man always good for a clever turn of phrase and a beaming smile. Schäuble is better known for being caustic and irritable. Varoufakis is a macroeconomist and prefers an open consideration of facts to blind adherence to dogma; he is matter-of-fact and deeply skeptical of those who have no understanding of the issues but make policy via backroom deals. And he doesn't hold career politicians in high regard.

Since Varoufakis has gotten to know his old colleague from Berlin, his appreciation for career politicians has dropped even further. He is suspicious of those who moralise instead of arguing facts and think that rules come before understanding.

For Yannis Varoufakis, macroeconomics cannot be easily understood, even by economists. That is why, he believes, listening to expert advice -- and constant evaluation of what worked and what didn't -- is the best policy.

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}