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In a recently unveiled autobiography, named Ithaki, the former leader Tsipras does not hold back while he examines that turbulent era during Greece's economic turmoil.

A Controversial Choice

As per the ex-PM's account, Tsipras appointed that unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis as his finance minister largely because of the latter's international reputation along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” abilities as a communicator.

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

Conflicting Agendas

The former leader suggests that his finance chief possessed a personal motives which included advancing Varoufakis's publications and testing out his own economic models using Greece instead of genuinely fighting for its economic stability.

Tsipras wrote how the talks to prevent insolvency became “not just a method to secure a better deal for the country. They were a test, a monumental chance to demonstrate the validity of his ideas.”

High-Stakes Talks

Amid tense negotiations, the country found itself perilously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.

On the line lay both Greece's destiny but also those severe austerity policies demanded in return for financial aid by foreign lenders.

Unsuccessful Alternatives

Efforts to secure financing from other sources, including a desperate plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek bonds, were rejected.

Helping the indebted country was equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly told Tsipras in Moscow.

Public Vote Followed by Reversal

In July 2015, the harsh bailout terms were put to a public vote, an action which threw Europe into further existential crisis.

Although the vote was won decisively by voters against austerity, Tsipras had little option but to reject its outcome then agree to a bailout package from foreign lenders that turned out to be more severe.

Breaking Point

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

“Varoufakis was the face of negotiation, the figure who drew media attention, who graced the covers of publications globally … he gave the impression he relished his new role.”

When the minister proposed a contingency plan that included establishing a secondary currency as well as issuing coupons to retirees, Tsipras knew it was game over and asked him: “Are you serious?”

Enduring Rebuke

Within the book, Tsipras asserts how his former ally had proved himself “unsuitable for a deal demanding intricate and delicate management.”

He also wrote that Varoufakis's confrontational approach left him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hardliners who were pushing for Grexit.

The account of events has provoked fury and stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas the former minister has maintained a deafening silence regarding these claims.