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In a recently unveiled autobiography, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras pulls no punches as he revisits the turbulent period of Greece's debt drama.

An Unconventional Appointment

As per the ex-PM's recollections, Tsipras selected that unorthodox economist Varoufakis as his treasury head largely due to his worldwide fame along with Varoufakis's very persuasive skills when it came to communicator.

“In reality, he was, truthfully, more of a celebrity rather than an economic expert,” wrote Tsipras.

Conflicting Agendas

Tsipras suggests that Varoufakis had his own motives which involved promoting Varoufakis's books and testing out his theories using the nation instead of genuinely fighting for its financial survival.

Tsipras explained how those talks to stave off bankruptcy were “not just a way to secure a better deal for the country. They became an experiment, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the truth of his economic theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

During volatile discussions, Greece found itself dangerously close to leaving the single currency area.

At stake lay not only Greece's destiny and those harsh austerity policies demanded in return for rescue loans by international creditors.

Failed Alternatives

Attempts to find funds from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, went unanswered.

Assisting Greece would be tantamount to throwing money into the garbage, Putin is reputed to have informed Tsipras in Moscow.

Public Vote and U-Turn

In July 2015, those punitive conditions were put to a public vote, a move which plunged Europe into a further existential crisis.

Although the vote was carried decisively by voters against the cuts, the prime minister had little option but to reject its outcome and negotiate a rescue deal from foreign lenders that proved to be tougher.

Final Straw

Tsipras claimed how he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the face of negotiation, the man who drew media attention, who appeared on the front pages of publications globally … he gave the impression he relished his new role.”

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

Enduring Rebuke

In the memoir, Tsipras asserts how his former ally had proved himself “unfit for a deal that required complex and sensitive handling.”

Tsipras further wrote that Varoufakis's aggressive style left him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, while assisted hawks who were advocating a Greek exit from the euro.

This account of events has provoked fury and stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has so far kept a deafening silence on the matter.