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In a recently unveiled memoir, titled Ithaki, the ex- leader Alexis Tsipras does not hold back while he examines that turbulent period during Greece's economic turmoil.

A Controversial Appointment

As per the ex-PM's recollections, he selected the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis to be the finance minister mainly due to the latter's worldwide fame along with his highly compelling abilities when it came to communicator.

“In reality, he was, truthfully, more like a celebrity and less of an economic expert,” stated the 51-year-old.

Conflicting Priorities

The former leader suggests that Varoufakis had his own agenda that involved advancing Varoufakis's publications and testing out his own economic models on Greece rather than genuinely advocating its financial survival.

He wrote that those negotiations to avoid insolvency were “not just a way to secure improved terms for the country. They were a test, an historic opportunity to prove the validity of his economic theories.”

Critical Talks

During tense discussions, the country came dangerously on the brink of exiting the eurozone.

At stake was both the country's future and the harsh austerity measures required in exchange for bailout funds by international creditors.

Unsuccessful Options

Efforts to find funds from other sources, including an urgent plea to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, went unanswered.

Assisting Greece would be equivalent to throwing money in the trash-can, the Russian leader reportedly told Tsipras in Moscow.

Referendum and Reversal

That summer, the harsh conditions were subjected to a popular referendum, a move that plunged the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.

Even though the referendum was won resoundingly by voters who opposed austerity, Tsipras was forced but to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package with creditors which turned out to be more severe.

Final Straw

The ex-PM revealed that he began to doubt his finance minister relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the figure who drew media attention, who graced the covers of magazines globally … he gave the impression he relished his new role.”

When the minister proposed a backup strategy involving establishing a secondary currency as well as distributing vouchers to pensioners, the leader said he realised that it was the end questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Enduring Rebuke

Within the book, the author asserts that his former ally demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and sensitive handling.”

He further wrote that his confrontational approach made him more and more alone among peers, put Greece at risk, while helped hardliners that were pushing for Grexit.

This account of history has provoked fury along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, whereas the former minister has kept a deafening silence regarding these claims.