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In a freshly published autobiography, titled Ithaki, the ex- premier Tsipras pulls no punches while he examines the turbulent period during Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Choice

As per Tsipras's version, Tsipras appointed the maverick economist Varoufakis as his treasury head largely due to his international reputation along with his highly compelling skills as a communicator.

“He was, truthfully, more of a personality rather than an economist,” recalled Tsipras.

Clashing Agendas

The former leader suggests how his finance chief possessed a personal agenda that included advancing his books and testing out his economic models using the nation instead of genuinely fighting for its financial survival.

Tsipras noted how the negotiations to prevent insolvency were “not only a way to secure a better deal for the country. They became an experiment, an historic chance to prove the validity of Varoufakis's economic theories.”

High-Stakes Talks

Amid rollercoaster negotiations, the country came perilously on the brink of leaving the eurozone.

At stake lay not only Greece's destiny and the punishing cutbacks required in exchange for rescue loans from international creditors.

Unsuccessful Options

Efforts to secure financing elsewhere, such as an urgent appeal to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.

Helping the indebted country would be tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have told Tsipras in Moscow.

Public Vote and Reversal

That summer, those harsh bailout terms were put to a public vote, a move that threw the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.

Even though the referendum was carried resoundingly by those against austerity, Tsipras had little option but to reject its outcome then agree to a bailout package with creditors which turned out to be more severe.

Final Straw

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

“He was the public image of the talks, the man who drew publicity, who appeared on the front pages of magazines the world over … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”

After the minister proposed a contingency plan that included creating a secondary currency and distributing coupons to pensioners, the leader knew it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Enduring Rebuke

Within the book, Tsipras concludes how his former ally had proved himself to be “unfit for an agreement that required intricate and sensitive handling.”

He also claimed how his confrontational style left him more and more alone with colleagues, put Greece at risk, and assisted hawks who were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.

This retelling of events has provoked fury and shock in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has maintained a conspicuous quiet on the matter.