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In a newly released personal account, named Ithaki, the ex- prime minister Alexis Tsipras does not hold back as he revisits that chaotic period of Greece's economic turmoil.

An Unconventional Appointment

In Tsipras's account, Tsipras chose the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis as his finance minister largely because of the latter's worldwide fame and his “extremely attractive” skills when it came to speaker.

“He was, truthfully, more of a celebrity and less of an economist,” stated Tsipras.

Clashing Priorities

Tsipras claims how Varoufakis had his own motives that involved promoting his books as well as experimenting with his own game theories on the nation instead of genuinely fighting for its economic stability.

He wrote that the talks to avoid insolvency were “not only a method to secure improved terms for the country. They were a test, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his ideas.”

High-Stakes Talks

During tense negotiations, Greece found itself dangerously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.

On the line was both Greece's destiny but also the harsh austerity measures required in return for bailout funds by foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Attempts to find financing elsewhere, such as an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.

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

Public Vote Followed by Reversal

That summer, those excoriating bailout terms were subjected to a public vote, a move which threw Europe into further crisis of identity.

Although the vote was won decisively by voters who opposed the cuts, Tsipras was forced to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package with foreign lenders that turned out to be even harsher.

Breaking Point

The ex-PM revealed how he began to doubt Varoufakis quite early on.

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

When Varoufakis proposed a contingency plan involving establishing a parallel currency and issuing coupons to pensioners, the leader knew it was game over and asked Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Enduring Rebuke

Within the memoir, the author asserts that Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unsuitable for an agreement that required complex and delicate management.”

He further wrote how his confrontational approach left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, while assisted hawks that were pushing for Grexit.

The retelling of events has been met with fury and stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has so far kept a deafening silence on the matter.