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Within his recently unveiled personal account, called Ithaki, the former prime minister Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism as he examines the turbulent era of Greece's economic turmoil.

An Unconventional Choice

As per the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras selected the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis to be the finance minister mainly due to his worldwide fame and his highly compelling abilities as a public orator.

“In reality, he was, in reality, more of a celebrity rather than an economist,” stated Tsipras.

Conflicting Priorities

The former leader claims that his finance chief possessed his own motives that included advancing Varoufakis's publications and testing out his own theories using Greece rather than truly fighting for its financial survival.

He wrote how those discussions to avoid bankruptcy became “not only a way of achieving improved terms for Greece. They became a test, an historic chance to prove the validity of his economic theories.”

Critical Talks

During volatile negotiations, Greece came dangerously close to exiting the eurozone.

At stake lay not only the country's future and the punishing cutbacks required in return for rescue loans by international creditors.

Unsuccessful Options

Efforts to find funds elsewhere, including a desperate appeal to Russia to buy Greek bonds, went unanswered.

Assisting the indebted country would be tantamount to throwing money into the garbage, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Referendum and Reversal

That summer, those excoriating bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, a move which plunged Europe into a deeper existential crisis.

Even though the vote was won decisively by voters against austerity, Tsipras was forced but to ignore the result and agree to a rescue deal from foreign lenders that proved to be tougher.

Breaking Point

The ex-PM revealed that he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the man who drew publicity, who graced the covers of publications the world over … he gave the impression he was enjoying his new role.”

After Varoufakis outlined a contingency plan that included establishing a parallel currency and distributing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised it was the end questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Rebuke

In the memoir, the author asserts that Varoufakis had proved himself “unfit for an agreement that required intricate and sensitive handling.”

He also claimed how his confrontational approach made him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, while assisted hardliners who were pushing for Grexit.

This retelling of history has been met with anger along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, whereas the former minister has so far kept a deafening silence on the matter.