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Within his freshly published memoir, called Ithaki, the ex- premier Tsipras spares no criticism while he examines that turbulent era during Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Appointment

As per Tsipras's version, he selected the unorthodox economist Varoufakis as the treasury head largely due to his global profile and Varoufakis's very persuasive abilities when it came to speaker.

“He was, truthfully, more of a star rather than an economic expert,” recalled Tsipras.

Conflicting Agendas

Tsipras alleges how Varoufakis possessed a personal motives that involved advancing his books and testing out his own game theories using the nation rather than genuinely advocating the country's financial survival.

Tsipras wrote how the negotiations to avoid insolvency became “not only a method of achieving improved terms for the country. They became an experiment, an historic chance to prove the truth of his theories.”

High-Stakes Talks

During tense discussions, Greece found itself perilously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.

On the line was both the country's destiny but also those severe austerity measures demanded in exchange for bailout funds from foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Efforts to secure funds from other sources, such as a desperate plea to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, were rejected.

Assisting the indebted country was tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Public Vote Followed by U-Turn

In July 2015, those punitive bailout terms were subjected to a public vote, an action which plunged Europe into deeper crisis of identity.

Although the vote was won resoundingly by voters who opposed the cuts, Tsipras had little option but to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package with creditors that proved to be tougher.

Final Straw

The ex-PM revealed that he started questioning his finance minister quite early on.

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

After the minister proposed a contingency plan that included establishing a secondary currency as well as issuing vouchers to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised that it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Enduring Criticism

Within the book, the author concludes that Varoufakis had proved himself to be “unsuitable for an agreement that required intricate and sensitive handling.”

He further wrote that his aggressive approach made him increasingly isolated with colleagues, put Greece at risk, and helped hawks who were pushing for Grexit.

The retelling of events has provoked anger along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas the former minister has maintained a conspicuous quiet on the matter.