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Within his recently unveiled autobiography, called Ithaki, the former prime minister Alexis Tsipras does not hold back while he reflects on that turbulent era during Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Choice

As per Tsipras's account, he selected that maverick economist Varoufakis as his finance minister primarily due to his worldwide fame and Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” abilities when it came to communicator.

“He was, truthfully, more of a star and less of an economic expert,” stated the 51-year-old.

Clashing Priorities

The former leader alleges that his finance chief had his own agenda which included advancing Varoufakis's publications and experimenting with his own game theories on Greece instead of truly advocating the country's economic stability.

Tsipras explained that the discussions to avoid insolvency were “not only a method of achieving a better deal for the country. They became a test, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

During tense discussions, the country found itself dangerously on the brink of exiting the single currency area.

At stake was not only Greece's future and the punishing austerity policies required in return for rescue loans from foreign lenders.

Unsuccessful Alternatives

Efforts to secure funds from other sources, including a desperate plea to the Kremlin to purchase Greek government bonds, fell on stony ground.

Assisting the indebted country would be tantamount to tossing cash into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have informed Tsipras in Moscow.

Public Vote Followed by U-Turn

That summer, the punitive bailout terms were subjected to a public vote, a move which threw the EU into a deeper existential crisis.

Although the referendum was won decisively by voters who opposed austerity, Tsipras had little option to ignore the result and negotiate a rescue deal with creditors that proved to be even harsher.

Final Straw

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

“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the man who drew publicity, who appeared on the front pages of publications the world over … it seemed he was enjoying his new role.”

After Varoufakis proposed a backup strategy that included creating a secondary currency as well as distributing coupons to retirees, Tsipras knew that it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Criticism

In the book, the author concludes how Varoufakis had proved himself “unfit for a deal demanding complex and delicate handling.”

Tsipras also wrote how Varoufakis's aggressive approach made him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, while assisted hawks that were pushing for a Greek exit from the euro.

The account of history has been met with fury and shock among certain groups, while Varoufakis has so far maintained a deafening silence regarding these claims.