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In a newly released memoir, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras spares no criticism as he examines that chaotic period of Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Choice

As per the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras selected that maverick academic Varoufakis to be the finance minister primarily due to the latter's worldwide fame and his highly compelling abilities as a communicator.

“In reality, he was, truthfully, more like a personality and less of an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.

Conflicting Priorities

Tsipras suggests that his finance chief had his own agenda which involved advancing Varoufakis's publications and testing out his own game theories on the nation instead of genuinely fighting for its economic stability.

Tsipras noted how the discussions to prevent insolvency became “not just a way to secure a better deal for Greece. They became an experiment, a monumental chance to demonstrate the truth of his theories.”

High-Stakes Talks

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

At stake was not only Greece's future but also the punishing austerity policies required in exchange for rescue loans by foreign lenders.

Failed Alternatives

Attempts to find funds from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, were rejected.

Helping the indebted country would be equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, the Russian leader reportedly told Tsipras in Moscow.

Referendum and U-Turn

That summer, those punitive conditions were put to a public vote, an action that plunged the EU into a deeper existential crisis.

Even though the referendum was won decisively by those who opposed the cuts, Tsipras was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a bailout package with foreign lenders which turned out to be more severe.

Breaking Point

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

“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the figure who attracted media attention, who appeared on the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he relished the spotlight.”

After the minister outlined a backup strategy that included creating a secondary currency as well as distributing vouchers to retirees, Tsipras knew that it was the end questioning him: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Criticism

Within the memoir, the author asserts that Varoufakis had proved himself “unfit for a deal that required complex and sensitive handling.”

Tsipras also claimed that his confrontational style left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, and helped hawks that were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.

The account of events has provoked anger along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, while Varoufakis has so far maintained a deafening silence regarding these claims.