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In a recently unveiled autobiography, titled Ithaki, the ex- prime minister Tsipras pulls no punches as he revisits that turbulent era of Greece's debt drama.

A Controversial Choice

As per the ex-PM's account, Tsipras chose the maverick economist Varoufakis as the treasury head mainly due to his international reputation along with his highly compelling skills when it came to communicator.

“In reality, he was, actually, more like a star and less of an economist,” stated Tsipras.

Conflicting Priorities

Tsipras suggests that his finance chief had his own agenda which involved promoting Varoufakis's books and experimenting with his own theories using the nation instead of truly advocating the country's economic stability.

Tsipras wrote that those talks to prevent insolvency became “not only a way to secure improved terms for Greece. They became a test, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his theories.”

Critical Negotiations

During tense negotiations, Greece found itself perilously close to exiting the eurozone.

On the line was both Greece's destiny but also those punishing austerity policies demanded in return for rescue loans from foreign lenders.

Unsuccessful Alternatives

Efforts to secure financing elsewhere, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.

Helping Greece was equivalent to throwing money into the garbage, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart during their meeting.

Public Vote and Reversal

In July 2015, the excoriating bailout terms were put to a public vote, a move that plunged Europe into a further crisis of identity.

Even though the vote was won decisively by those against the cuts, Tsipras was forced to ignore the result then negotiate a rescue deal with creditors which proved to be more severe.

Final Straw

Tsipras revealed that 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 globally … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”

After Varoufakis proposed a contingency plan that included establishing a parallel currency and distributing vouchers to retirees, Tsipras said he realised that it was game over questioning him: “Is this for real?”

Enduring Rebuke

Within the book, the author asserts that Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unsuitable for an agreement that required intricate and sensitive handling.”

He also wrote that Varoufakis's confrontational approach left him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, while helped hawks who were advocating Grexit.

This retelling of history has been met with fury along with shock in some quarters, whereas the former minister has kept a conspicuous quiet on the matter.