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In a newly released autobiography, titled Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras does not hold back while he revisits the chaotic period of Greece's debt drama.

An Unconventional Choice

In the ex-PM's version, he chose the maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis as the finance minister mainly due to his global profile along with his very persuasive abilities as a communicator.

“In reality, he was, actually, more of a star and less of an economist,” stated Tsipras.

Conflicting Priorities

Tsipras alleges that his finance chief had his own motives that involved promoting his books as well as experimenting with his theories using the nation instead of truly advocating its financial survival.

Tsipras noted how those discussions to stave off bankruptcy became “not just a method of achieving a better deal for the country. They became a test, an historic chance to demonstrate the truth of Varoufakis's economic theories.”

Critical Negotiations

During volatile negotiations, the country found itself perilously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.

At stake was both Greece's destiny but also the harsh austerity policies required in exchange for rescue loans by international creditors.

Failed Options

Efforts to find funds elsewhere, including an urgent appeal to Russia to purchase Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.

Assisting Greece was equivalent to throwing money into the garbage, the Russian leader reportedly informed Tsipras in Moscow.

Referendum Followed by U-Turn

That summer, those excoriating bailout terms were put to a public vote, a move which threw the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.

Even though the referendum was won resoundingly by those who opposed the cuts, Tsipras was forced to reject its outcome and negotiate a bailout package with foreign lenders that proved to be tougher.

Final Straw

Tsipras revealed how he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the face of the talks, the figure who drew publicity, who appeared on the front pages of magazines globally … he gave the impression he relished his new role.”

After the minister proposed a contingency plan involving creating a parallel currency and issuing coupons to pensioners, the leader said he realised that it was the end questioning him: “Can you be serious?”

Enduring Rebuke

In the book, the author concludes how his former ally had proved himself “unsuitable for a deal that required intricate and delicate handling.”

Tsipras further claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive style made him increasingly isolated among peers, put Greece at risk, while helped hawks that were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.

This account of history has provoked anger and shock among certain groups, while the former minister has so far kept a deafening silence on the matter.