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In a freshly published memoir, called Ithaki, the ex- prime minister Tsipras spares no criticism while he examines that chaotic era of Greece's economic turmoil.

An Unconventional Choice

As per the ex-PM's recollections, he selected the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis to be his treasury head largely due to the latter's global profile along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” skills when it came to speaker.

“In reality, he was, in reality, more like a star and less of an economist,” stated the 51-year-old.

Clashing Agendas

The former leader claims how his finance chief had a personal motives that involved advancing his books and testing out his economic models using Greece instead of genuinely advocating the country's financial survival.

He noted that the talks to stave off insolvency were “not only a method to secure improved terms for Greece. They became an experiment, an historic opportunity to prove the truth of Varoufakis's economic theories.”

High-Stakes Talks

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

At stake lay not only Greece's future but also the harsh austerity policies demanded in exchange for bailout funds from foreign lenders.

Unsuccessful Alternatives

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

Helping the indebted country was equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Public Vote Followed by Reversal

That summer, those punitive bailout terms were subjected to a public vote, an action which threw Europe into a deeper existential crisis.

Although the vote was won decisively by those who opposed austerity, Tsipras had little option but to ignore the result then agree to a bailout package from foreign lenders which turned out to be more severe.

Final Straw

The ex-PM claimed how he started questioning his finance minister quite early on.

“Varoufakis was the face of negotiation, the man who attracted media attention, who graced the covers of publications the world over … it seemed he was enjoying the spotlight.”

When the minister proposed a contingency plan that included establishing a parallel currency as well as issuing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised that it was the end and asked him: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Criticism

Within the book, Tsipras asserts how Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unfit for a deal demanding intricate and delicate handling.”

He also wrote how his confrontational style left him increasingly isolated among peers, put Greece at risk, while assisted hardliners who were advocating Grexit.

This account of events has been met with anger and stunned disbelief among certain groups, whereas Varoufakis has kept a deafening silence on the matter.