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Within his recently unveiled personal account, called Ithaki, the ex- premier Tsipras spares no criticism as he reflects on that turbulent era during Greece's economic turmoil.

A Controversial Appointment

In the ex-PM's version, Tsipras chose the maverick economist Varoufakis as the finance minister mainly because of the latter's international reputation and his “extremely attractive” skills when it came to speaker.

“He was, actually, more like a personality and less of an economist,” wrote the 51-year-old.

Clashing Priorities

The former leader suggests how Varoufakis had a personal motives which involved promoting Varoufakis's publications as well as experimenting with his own theories using the nation rather than truly fighting for its economic stability.

He wrote that the negotiations to prevent bankruptcy were “not only a method of achieving a better deal for the country. They became an experiment, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the validity of Varoufakis's ideas.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

During rollercoaster negotiations, Greece came perilously close to leaving the eurozone.

On the line was not only the country's destiny but also the harsh cutbacks required in return for rescue loans from foreign lenders.

Failed Alternatives

Efforts to find funds elsewhere, such as a desperate plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, were rejected.

Helping Greece was tantamount to throwing money into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Referendum Followed by U-Turn

In July 2015, those harsh bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, a move which threw the EU into further existential crisis.

Even though the vote was carried resoundingly by those who opposed the cuts, Tsipras was forced to ignore the result and negotiate a bailout package from foreign lenders that turned out to be even harsher.

Breaking Point

Tsipras claimed how he began to doubt his finance minister quite early on.

“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the man who drew publicity, who appeared on the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he was enjoying the spotlight.”

After the minister outlined a backup strategy that included creating a secondary currency as well as distributing vouchers to pensioners, Tsipras knew it was game over and asked Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Rebuke

Within the memoir, the author asserts that his former ally demonstrated himself “unfit for an agreement that required intricate and delicate handling.”

Tsipras further claimed how Varoufakis's aggressive approach made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, and assisted hardliners who were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.

The retelling of events has been met with fury along with shock in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.