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Within his freshly published personal account, called Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras does not hold back while he examines that chaotic era during Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Appointment

In the ex-PM's account, Tsipras chose the unorthodox economist Yanis Varoufakis to be the treasury head mainly due to his worldwide fame and Varoufakis's highly compelling skills when it came to public orator.

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

Clashing Priorities

Tsipras suggests that Varoufakis possessed his own motives which involved promoting his books as well as experimenting with his game theories using the nation rather than genuinely advocating its financial survival.

Tsipras explained that the talks to stave off bankruptcy were “not only a method to secure a better deal for the country. They became an experiment, an historic opportunity to demonstrate the truth of his theories.”

High-Stakes Talks

Amid tense negotiations, Greece came perilously close to leaving the single currency area.

At stake lay both Greece's destiny and the harsh austerity policies demanded in exchange for rescue loans by foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Efforts to find funds from other sources, such as an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, were rejected.

Assisting Greece would be tantamount to throwing money in the trash-can, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart during their meeting.

Public Vote and U-Turn

That summer, the harsh conditions were subjected to a public vote, a move that threw Europe into a further crisis of identity.

Even though the referendum was won decisively by voters against the cuts, the prime minister had little option but to ignore the result then agree to a bailout package from creditors that proved to be tougher.

Breaking Point

Tsipras revealed how he started questioning Varoufakis relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the figure who drew publicity, who graced the covers of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he was enjoying the spotlight.”

After Varoufakis proposed a backup strategy that included creating a parallel currency and distributing coupons to retirees, the leader knew it was the end and asked him: “Are you serious?”

Lasting Rebuke

In the book, Tsipras concludes how Varoufakis had proved himself to be “unfit for a deal that required intricate and delicate management.”

Tsipras also claimed that his confrontational approach made him increasingly isolated with colleagues, endangered the country, while helped hardliners that were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.

The account of history has been met with fury along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has so far maintained a deafening silence on the matter.