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Within his freshly published memoir, named Ithaki, the former leader Tsipras spares no criticism while he reflects on the chaotic era during Greece's financial crisis.

An Unconventional Appointment

In Tsipras's account, he selected the unorthodox economist Yanis Varoufakis as the finance minister primarily due to the latter's international reputation and Varoufakis's highly compelling skills as a communicator.

“In reality, he was, in reality, more like a personality rather than an economist,” stated Tsipras.

Clashing Agendas

The former leader alleges that his finance chief possessed his own agenda that involved promoting Varoufakis's books and testing out his own game theories using Greece rather than truly advocating its financial survival.

Tsipras wrote how the negotiations to stave off insolvency became “not only a way of achieving a better deal for Greece. They became an experiment, a monumental opportunity to demonstrate the validity of his theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

Amid volatile discussions, the country found itself perilously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.

At stake was both the country's destiny but also those harsh austerity measures required in return for rescue loans from international creditors.

Failed Options

Attempts to find financing from other sources, such as a desperate appeal to the Kremlin to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground.

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

Referendum Followed by U-Turn

That summer, the harsh bailout terms were subjected to a popular referendum, an action which threw the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.

Although the referendum was won decisively by voters against the cuts, the prime minister had little option but to reject its outcome then negotiate a rescue deal with foreign lenders which turned out to be tougher.

Final Straw

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

“Varoufakis was the face of negotiation, the figure who attracted publicity, who graced the covers of publications the world over … it seemed he relished his new role.”

After the minister proposed a backup strategy that included establishing a parallel currency and issuing coupons to retirees, the leader said he realised that it was the end questioning him: “Is this for real?”

Lasting Rebuke

Within the book, Tsipras concludes that his former ally had proved himself to be “unsuitable for a deal demanding intricate and delicate management.”

Tsipras also wrote how his confrontational approach made him increasingly isolated among peers, put Greece at risk, and assisted hawks that were advocating Grexit.

The retelling of history has been met with fury along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, while Varoufakis has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.