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In a recently unveiled personal account, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Alexis Tsipras does not hold back while he examines the chaotic era during Greece's debt drama.

An Unconventional Choice

According to Tsipras's version, Tsipras chose the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis to be the finance minister largely because of the latter's global profile along with Varoufakis's highly compelling abilities when it came to public orator.

“He was, actually, more like a star and less of an economic expert,” wrote Tsipras.

Clashing Priorities

The former leader suggests how his finance chief possessed a personal agenda which included promoting Varoufakis's books and experimenting with his theories on Greece rather than truly fighting for the country's financial survival.

He explained that those negotiations to stave off bankruptcy became “not only a method of achieving a better deal for the country. They were an experiment, an historic opportunity to prove the truth of Varoufakis's theories.”

Critical Negotiations

During tense discussions, Greece came perilously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.

At stake lay both Greece's destiny but also those punishing austerity measures demanded in exchange for bailout funds from international creditors.

Unsuccessful Alternatives

Attempts to secure financing from other sources, including a desperate appeal to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.

Assisting the indebted country would be equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, the Russian leader reportedly informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Referendum and Reversal

That summer, those excoriating bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, a move that plunged Europe into a further existential crisis.

Although the referendum was won decisively by voters who opposed austerity, Tsipras was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a rescue deal with foreign lenders which turned out to be more severe.

Final Straw

Tsipras revealed how he began to doubt his finance minister relatively soon.

“He was the public image of the talks, the man who drew media attention, who graced the covers of publications globally … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”

When the minister outlined a contingency plan that included creating a secondary currency as well as issuing vouchers to retirees, Tsipras knew that it was the end and asked Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Criticism

In the book, the author concludes that Varoufakis had proved himself to be “unsuitable for an agreement that required complex and delicate handling.”

He further claimed how Varoufakis's confrontational approach made him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hawks that were pushing for Grexit.

The account of events has been met with anger and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has so far kept a conspicuous quiet on the matter.