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Within his freshly published personal account, called Ithaki, the former leader Tsipras pulls no punches as he examines that chaotic era of Greece's economic turmoil.

An Unconventional Appointment

As per the ex-PM's account, Tsipras appointed the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis to be his treasury head largely because of the latter's worldwide fame along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” skills as a communicator.

“He was, in reality, more of a celebrity rather than an economic expert,” recalled Tsipras.

Conflicting Agendas

The former leader claims that his finance chief possessed his own agenda which involved promoting Varoufakis's books and experimenting with his own economic models on the nation rather than truly advocating the country's financial survival.

Tsipras wrote that the negotiations to stave off insolvency became “not just a method of achieving a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the validity of Varoufakis's economic theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

Amid rollercoaster negotiations, Greece came dangerously on the brink of exiting the single currency area.

On the line lay both Greece's destiny but also those severe austerity measures demanded in return for bailout funds from international creditors.

Failed Options

Efforts to find funds elsewhere, such as a desperate plea to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.

Assisting Greece was tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have told his Greek counterpart during their meeting.

Public Vote Followed by U-Turn

That summer, those harsh conditions were put to a public vote, a move that threw the EU into a deeper existential crisis.

Even though the vote was carried decisively by those who opposed the cuts, the prime minister was forced but to ignore the result and agree to a rescue deal with creditors which proved to be even harsher.

Final Straw

The ex-PM revealed how he began to doubt his finance minister relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the face of the talks, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the front pages of magazines the world over … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”

When the minister proposed a backup strategy involving establishing a secondary currency as well as issuing vouchers to retirees, Tsipras knew it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Enduring Criticism

In the memoir, the author asserts that Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required intricate and sensitive management.”

Tsipras also wrote how his confrontational approach left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, while helped hardliners that were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.

This retelling of events has been met with anger and stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas the former minister has so far kept a deafening silence regarding these claims.