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In a freshly published memoir, titled Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras does not hold back as he examines the turbulent era of Greece's financial crisis.

A Controversial Appointment

According to the ex-PM's version, Tsipras selected the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis to be his finance minister mainly because of the latter's international reputation and Varoufakis's highly compelling skills as a speaker.

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

Clashing Priorities

Tsipras claims that Varoufakis possessed a personal motives which involved promoting Varoufakis's publications as well as testing out his own economic models using Greece instead of truly fighting for the country's financial survival.

Tsipras noted that those negotiations to stave off bankruptcy became “not only a way of achieving improved terms for Greece. They were a test, an historic chance to demonstrate the validity of Varoufakis's theories.”

Critical Negotiations

During rollercoaster discussions, the country found itself dangerously on the brink of exiting the single currency area.

On the line was both the country's future but also the punishing austerity policies demanded in exchange for bailout funds from foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Attempts to secure funds elsewhere, including an urgent plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.

Assisting Greece would be equivalent to throwing money into the garbage, Putin reportedly told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Public Vote Followed by Reversal

In July 2015, those excoriating bailout terms were put to a public vote, an action which plunged Europe into further crisis of identity.

Even though the referendum was won decisively by those who opposed the cuts, Tsipras had little option but to ignore the result and negotiate a rescue deal with foreign lenders that proved to be even harsher.

Final Straw

Tsipras revealed that he began to doubt Varoufakis quite early on.

“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the man who drew publicity, 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 and issuing vouchers to pensioners, Tsipras knew it was the end questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Criticism

In the memoir, the author asserts how his former ally demonstrated himself “unsuitable for an agreement demanding intricate and sensitive management.”

Tsipras also claimed how his confrontational approach left him more and more alone with colleagues, put Greece at risk, while helped hawks that were advocating Grexit.

This retelling of events has provoked fury along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, while Varoufakis has kept a deafening silence on the matter.