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Within his freshly published personal account, called Ithaki, the ex- prime minister Tsipras pulls no punches as he revisits that chaotic era during Greece's debt drama.

A Controversial Appointment

As per the ex-PM's version, he chose the maverick economist Varoufakis as his treasury head largely because of his international reputation along with his “extremely attractive” skills as a communicator.

“In reality, he was, actually, more of a celebrity rather than an economic expert,” stated the 51-year-old.

Clashing Priorities

The former leader suggests how his finance chief had his own motives which involved promoting his publications and experimenting with his own economic models on Greece rather than truly fighting for its financial survival.

He explained that the negotiations to avoid insolvency became “not just a way to secure a better deal for the country. They became a test, an historic opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his ideas.”

High-Stakes Talks

Amid volatile discussions, Greece came dangerously close to leaving the eurozone.

On the line lay both Greece's future and the severe austerity policies demanded in exchange for bailout funds by foreign lenders.

Failed Alternatives

Efforts to secure financing from other sources, such as an urgent appeal to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, were rejected.

Assisting Greece would be equivalent to tossing cash in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly informed his Greek counterpart during their meeting.

Public Vote and U-Turn

That summer, those harsh bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, an action that plunged the EU into further existential crisis.

Although the vote was won decisively by voters against the cuts, Tsipras was forced but to ignore the result and agree to a rescue deal from creditors which turned out to be more severe.

Final Straw

The ex-PM claimed how he started questioning Varoufakis relatively soon.

“He was the face of the talks, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the covers of publications globally … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”

After the minister proposed a backup strategy involving establishing a parallel currency and issuing coupons to pensioners, the leader knew that it was the end and asked him: “Can you be serious?”

Lasting Rebuke

Within the memoir, Tsipras concludes that Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for a deal demanding complex and delicate handling.”

Tsipras further claimed that Varoufakis's confrontational style left him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hardliners that were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.

The retelling of history has provoked anger along with shock among certain groups, whereas Varoufakis has so far kept a conspicuous quiet on the matter.