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Within his freshly published personal account, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras spares no criticism while he examines that turbulent era during Greece's economic turmoil.

An Unconventional Appointment

According to the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras appointed the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis as the treasury head primarily because of his worldwide fame and his highly compelling abilities as a communicator.

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

Clashing Priorities

The former leader alleges that Varoufakis possessed his own motives that involved promoting his publications as well as testing out his own theories on Greece rather than genuinely fighting for the country's economic stability.

He noted that those talks to avoid bankruptcy were “not just a method to secure improved terms for the country. They were an experiment, an historic chance to prove the truth of his ideas.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

During volatile negotiations, Greece came perilously on the brink of leaving the eurozone.

On the line was both Greece's future and the harsh austerity measures demanded in exchange for financial aid by international creditors.

Unsuccessful Alternatives

Efforts to find funds from other sources, including an urgent plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, were rejected.

Helping Greece was tantamount to throwing money into the garbage, Putin is reputed to have informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Public Vote and U-Turn

In July 2015, the harsh bailout terms were subjected to a public vote, a move which threw the EU into further crisis of identity.

Even though the vote was carried resoundingly by voters against austerity, the prime minister had little option to ignore the result then negotiate a bailout package from foreign lenders that turned out to be tougher.

Final Straw

The ex-PM claimed that he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.

“He was the face of negotiation, the figure who attracted publicity, who appeared on the front pages of publications the world over … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”

When Varoufakis outlined a contingency plan that included establishing a parallel currency as well as distributing vouchers to retirees, the leader said he realised it was the end and asked him: “Can you be serious?”

Enduring Criticism

In the memoir, the author concludes that Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unfit for an agreement demanding complex and delicate handling.”

He further claimed that his confrontational approach made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, and assisted hardliners that were advocating Grexit.

The retelling of history has provoked fury along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has so far kept a deafening silence regarding these claims.