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In a recently unveiled personal account, titled Ithaki, the former leader Tsipras spares no criticism while he examines the turbulent period of Greece's debt drama.

An Unconventional Appointment

According to Tsipras's recollections, Tsipras appointed the maverick economist Varoufakis as his treasury head mainly because of his global profile along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” abilities as a speaker.

“He was, actually, more like a celebrity rather than an economist,” wrote Tsipras.

Clashing Agendas

Tsipras alleges that his finance chief had a personal agenda that included advancing his books and testing out his own game theories using the nation rather than genuinely advocating its economic stability.

Tsipras wrote that those discussions to prevent bankruptcy became “not just a method of achieving a better deal for Greece. They were a test, a monumental opportunity to prove the validity of Varoufakis's ideas.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

During tense negotiations, Greece came dangerously on the brink of exiting the single currency area.

At stake lay not only Greece's destiny but also those severe cutbacks required in return for bailout funds from international creditors.

Unsuccessful Options

Efforts to find funds elsewhere, including an urgent appeal to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, were rejected.

Helping Greece was tantamount to throwing money into the garbage, Putin is reputed to have told Tsipras in Moscow.

Public Vote Followed by U-Turn

In July 2015, the harsh bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, an action that plunged the EU into a deeper existential crisis.

Even though the vote was carried resoundingly by those who opposed the cuts, Tsipras was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a rescue deal with creditors that proved to be more severe.

Breaking Point

Tsipras revealed how he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the face of the talks, the man who attracted media attention, who appeared on the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he relished the spotlight.”

When Varoufakis proposed a contingency plan involving establishing a secondary currency and distributing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras knew that it was the end and asked Varoufakis: “Can you be serious?”

Enduring Criticism

Within the book, the author concludes how Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for an agreement demanding complex and delicate handling.”

He also claimed that his confrontational approach left him more and more alone with colleagues, put Greece at risk, and assisted hardliners that were advocating Grexit.

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