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

An Unconventional Choice

In Tsipras's version, he appointed the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis as his finance minister largely due to the latter's worldwide fame along with his highly compelling abilities as a speaker.

“In reality, he was, in reality, more of a celebrity and less of an economist,” stated the 51-year-old.

Clashing Agendas

Tsipras claims that Varoufakis had his own agenda that involved promoting Varoufakis's books and testing out his economic models on the nation instead of truly advocating the country's financial survival.

Tsipras wrote how the discussions to avoid insolvency became “not only a method to secure improved terms for the country. They became a test, an historic chance to demonstrate the validity of his economic theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

Amid volatile discussions, the country came dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.

On the line was both Greece's future but also those harsh cutbacks demanded in exchange for financial aid from foreign lenders.

Failed Alternatives

Efforts to secure funds elsewhere, such as a desperate plea to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, went unanswered.

Assisting Greece would be equivalent to throwing money into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have informed Tsipras in Moscow.

Public Vote and U-Turn

That summer, the punitive bailout terms were put to a public vote, an action that plunged Europe into a deeper existential crisis.

Although the referendum was won decisively by those against the cuts, the prime minister was forced to ignore the result then agree to a rescue deal with foreign lenders which proved to be more severe.

Final Straw

The ex-PM revealed that he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the man who drew publicity, who graced the covers of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”

When the minister proposed a backup strategy that included creating a parallel currency as well as distributing coupons to retirees, the leader knew that it was the end and asked Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”

Lasting Criticism

Within the book, the author asserts how Varoufakis had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required intricate and delicate handling.”

He also wrote that Varoufakis's confrontational style left him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, while assisted hardliners that were pushing for Grexit.

This account of events has provoked fury and shock among certain groups, while Varoufakis has so far maintained a deafening silence on the matter.