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In a freshly published autobiography, titled Ithaki, the ex- premier Tsipras pulls no punches as he reflects on that turbulent period of Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Appointment

According to the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras selected that unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis as the treasury head primarily because of his international reputation along with Varoufakis's highly compelling skills when it came to speaker.

“He was, in reality, more of a star rather than an economist,” wrote the 51-year-old.

Clashing Priorities

The former leader claims that his finance chief had his own agenda which involved advancing his publications and experimenting with his own economic models using Greece instead of genuinely advocating its economic stability.

He noted how those discussions to prevent insolvency became “not just a way to secure a better deal for the country. They were a test, a monumental opportunity to prove the truth of Varoufakis's ideas.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

During rollercoaster negotiations, Greece found itself dangerously close to leaving the single currency area.

At stake lay both the country's future and those severe cutbacks demanded in exchange for rescue loans by foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Attempts to secure financing elsewhere, such as an urgent plea to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.

Helping the indebted country was equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, Putin is reputed to have informed Tsipras in Moscow.

Referendum Followed by U-Turn

That summer, those punitive bailout terms were subjected to a public vote, a move that plunged the EU into a further existential crisis.

Although the referendum was carried resoundingly by voters who opposed austerity, Tsipras was forced but to ignore the result and agree to a rescue deal from foreign lenders that proved to be more severe.

Breaking Point

Tsipras claimed that he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.

“He was the public image of negotiation, the man who attracted media attention, who graced the front pages of publications globally … it seemed he relished the spotlight.”

After the minister outlined a backup strategy involving establishing a secondary currency and distributing vouchers to retirees, the leader said he realised it was the end questioning him: “Are you serious?”

Enduring Criticism

Within the book, the author asserts how Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unfit for a deal that required intricate and sensitive management.”

Tsipras further wrote how his aggressive approach left him increasingly isolated with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hardliners who were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.

This retelling of events has been met with fury along with shock among certain groups, while the former minister has maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.