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Within his newly released personal account, called Ithaki, the ex- prime minister Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism while he examines that chaotic period of Greece's economic turmoil.

A Controversial Appointment

In the ex-PM's version, he selected the unorthodox academic Varoufakis to be his finance minister largely due to his international reputation along with his “extremely attractive” abilities when it came to public orator.

“He was, in reality, more like a celebrity rather than an economist,” wrote Tsipras.

Conflicting Agendas

The former leader alleges that Varoufakis had a personal motives that included promoting his books and experimenting with his own game theories on the nation instead of truly advocating the country's economic stability.

Tsipras explained that the discussions to prevent bankruptcy became “not just a method to secure improved terms for Greece. They were an experiment, an historic chance to prove the truth of Varoufakis's theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

Amid volatile discussions, the country found itself dangerously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.

At stake lay not only the country's future but also those harsh austerity measures demanded in exchange for rescue loans by foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Attempts to secure funds elsewhere, such as a desperate appeal to Russia to buy Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.

Assisting the indebted country would be tantamount to throwing money in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have told his Greek counterpart during their meeting.

Referendum and Reversal

That summer, the harsh conditions were put to a popular referendum, a move that plunged the EU into further existential crisis.

Even though the vote was won decisively by those against austerity, Tsipras had little option to reject its outcome then negotiate a bailout package from creditors which turned out to be even harsher.

Final Straw

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

“He was the public image of the talks, the man who drew publicity, who appeared on the covers of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he was enjoying his new role.”

After the minister proposed a contingency plan involving establishing a parallel currency as well as distributing coupons to pensioners, the leader said he realised that it was game over questioning him: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Rebuke

In the memoir, the author asserts that his former ally demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for a deal demanding complex and delicate management.”

He further claimed how his confrontational style made him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, while helped hawks who were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.

This retelling of events has been met with fury along with shock in some quarters, while Varoufakis has kept a deafening silence regarding these claims.