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Within his recently unveiled personal account, titled Ithaki, the former leader Tsipras pulls no punches as he reflects on the chaotic era during Greece's economic turmoil.

An Unconventional Choice

In Tsipras's version, Tsipras chose that maverick academic Varoufakis as his treasury head largely because of the latter's worldwide fame and Varoufakis's very persuasive skills when it came to speaker.

“He was, actually, more of a personality rather than an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.

Conflicting Priorities

The former leader claims that his finance chief possessed a personal motives that involved advancing Varoufakis's publications and testing out his own theories on Greece rather than genuinely fighting for the country's financial survival.

He wrote how those talks to avoid insolvency became “not only a method to secure a better deal for the country. They became an experiment, an historic chance to prove the truth of Varoufakis's theories.”

Critical Talks

Amid volatile negotiations, the country found itself perilously close to exiting the eurozone.

At stake lay both the country's future and the punishing austerity measures required in exchange for financial aid by foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Attempts to secure financing from other sources, including an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, were rejected.

Assisting the indebted country would be tantamount to tossing cash into the garbage, Putin reportedly told Tsipras in Moscow.

Public Vote Followed by U-Turn

In July 2015, the harsh bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, an action that threw the EU into further crisis of identity.

Even though the vote was carried decisively by voters who opposed austerity, the prime minister was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a rescue deal with foreign lenders that turned out to be more severe.

Breaking Point

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

“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the figure who attracted media attention, who appeared on the covers of publications globally … he gave the impression he was enjoying the spotlight.”

When the minister outlined a contingency plan that included creating a parallel currency and issuing vouchers to retirees, Tsipras knew it was game over questioning him: “Are you serious?”

Enduring Criticism

In the book, Tsipras asserts that Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and delicate handling.”

He further claimed how his confrontational style left him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, while assisted hawks that were pushing for Grexit.

The account of events has been met with fury and stunned disbelief among certain groups, whereas Varoufakis has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.