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Within his newly released autobiography, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras does not hold back while he revisits that turbulent era of Greece's financial crisis.

A Controversial Appointment

In the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras selected that maverick economist Varoufakis to be his finance minister mainly because of the latter's international reputation along with his very persuasive skills as a speaker.

“He was, in reality, more like a personality rather than an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.

Clashing Priorities

The former leader alleges how Varoufakis possessed his own agenda which included advancing his publications and testing out his economic models using the nation rather than genuinely advocating its economic stability.

Tsipras wrote how the talks to stave off bankruptcy became “not only a method of achieving improved terms for the country. They became an experiment, a monumental chance to demonstrate the truth of his theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

Amid rollercoaster negotiations, Greece found itself dangerously on the brink of leaving the eurozone.

At stake lay both the country's future but also those severe austerity measures required in return for rescue loans from foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Attempts to secure funds from other sources, such as a desperate plea to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, were rejected.

Helping the indebted country was tantamount to tossing cash into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have told his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Referendum Followed by Reversal

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

Although the vote was carried resoundingly by those against austerity, Tsipras had little option to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package with creditors which proved to be more severe.

Final Straw

The ex-PM claimed how he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.

“He was the face of the talks, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the covers of magazines globally … it seemed he was enjoying the spotlight.”

After the minister outlined a contingency plan involving creating a secondary currency and distributing coupons to pensioners, the leader knew that it was the end and asked him: “Can you be serious?”

Enduring Criticism

In the book, the author concludes that his former ally had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required intricate and sensitive handling.”

He also claimed how Varoufakis's confrontational approach left him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, while helped hawks who were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.

This account of events has been met with fury along with shock among certain groups, while the former minister has so far maintained a deafening silence regarding these claims.