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Within his freshly published memoir, titled Ithaki, the ex- leader Tsipras does not hold back while he revisits the turbulent period during Greece's financial crisis.

A Controversial Appointment

As per Tsipras's version, he selected the unorthodox academic Varoufakis to be the finance minister largely due to his global profile and his “extremely attractive” skills as a speaker.

“In reality, he was, in reality, more like a celebrity rather than an economic expert,” stated Tsipras.

Clashing Agendas

The former leader alleges that his finance chief had his own agenda that involved advancing his publications and testing out his own game theories on the nation rather than genuinely fighting for its economic stability.

He wrote how those talks to prevent bankruptcy became “not just a method of achieving a better deal for the country. They were a test, a monumental chance to demonstrate the truth of Varoufakis's ideas.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

During rollercoaster negotiations, Greece found itself dangerously close to exiting the single currency area.

On the line lay not only Greece's future and those harsh cutbacks demanded in exchange for rescue loans from foreign lenders.

Failed Alternatives

Attempts to secure funds from other sources, including an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, went unanswered.

Assisting the indebted country would be equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly told Tsipras during their meeting.

Referendum Followed by U-Turn

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

Even though the referendum was carried resoundingly by voters against austerity, Tsipras had little option but to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package from creditors that proved to be more severe.

Breaking Point

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

“He was the face of the talks, the man who drew publicity, who appeared on the covers of publications globally … it seemed he was enjoying the spotlight.”

When the minister proposed a contingency plan involving establishing a parallel currency and issuing coupons to retirees, Tsipras said he realised that it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Rebuke

Within the book, Tsipras asserts how his former ally had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and delicate handling.”

He further claimed that Varoufakis's confrontational style left him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, and helped hawks who were advocating Grexit.

This retelling of history has been met with anger and shock among certain groups, while Varoufakis has kept a deafening silence on the matter.