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In a newly released memoir, titled Ithaki, the ex- premier Tsipras does not hold back as he revisits that turbulent period of Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Appointment

According to the ex-PM's version, he selected that maverick academic Varoufakis to be the treasury head mainly due to his worldwide fame and Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” abilities as a communicator.

“He was, actually, more like a star rather than an economist,” wrote Tsipras.

Conflicting Priorities

Tsipras claims that his finance chief possessed his own motives which included advancing his books and experimenting with his own game theories using the nation instead of truly advocating the country's economic stability.

Tsipras wrote how the negotiations to avoid bankruptcy were “not just a way to secure improved terms for the country. They were a test, an historic opportunity to prove the truth of Varoufakis's ideas.”

High-Stakes Talks

During volatile negotiations, Greece came dangerously on the brink of leaving the eurozone.

At stake lay not only the country's destiny but also the harsh cutbacks demanded in return for rescue loans by foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Efforts to secure financing from other sources, including an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, were rejected.

Helping Greece would be equivalent to throwing money into the garbage, Putin is reputed to have told Tsipras in Moscow.

Referendum Followed by U-Turn

In July 2015, the punitive bailout terms were subjected to a public vote, an action which plunged Europe into a further existential crisis.

Even though the vote was carried decisively by voters who opposed austerity, the prime minister had little option to reject its outcome then negotiate a rescue deal from creditors that proved to be more severe.

Final Straw

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

“He was the face of negotiation, the figure who drew publicity, who graced the front pages of publications the world over … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”

After the minister proposed a contingency plan that included establishing a secondary currency and distributing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras knew that it was game over and asked him: “Can you be serious?”

Lasting Rebuke

In the memoir, the author asserts that Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and sensitive management.”

Tsipras further wrote that Varoufakis's confrontational style made him increasingly isolated with colleagues, endangered the country, and assisted hardliners that were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.

This account of history has provoked anger along with shock in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.