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In a newly released personal account, titled Ithaki, the former premier Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism as he revisits that chaotic era during Greece's financial crisis.

A Controversial Choice

According to the ex-PM's account, Tsipras chose that maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis as the treasury head primarily because of the latter's worldwide fame along with his very persuasive abilities when it came to speaker.

“In reality, he was, truthfully, more of a star and less of an economic expert,” recalled Tsipras.

Conflicting Agendas

The former leader claims how Varoufakis possessed his own motives which included promoting his books as well as experimenting with his theories using the nation rather than truly fighting for the country's economic stability.

Tsipras wrote that those discussions to prevent insolvency became “not only a way of achieving improved terms for Greece. They became an experiment, an historic opportunity to prove the validity of his theories.”

Critical Talks

During rollercoaster negotiations, Greece came perilously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.

At stake was not only Greece's destiny and those harsh cutbacks required in return for bailout funds by foreign lenders.

Failed Alternatives

Efforts to find funds elsewhere, such as an urgent plea to Russia to purchase Greek government bonds, were rejected.

Assisting Greece would be equivalent to tossing cash into the garbage, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart during their meeting.

Referendum Followed by Reversal

That summer, those excoriating conditions were subjected to a public vote, an action that plunged Europe into a further crisis of identity.

Even though the referendum was won decisively by voters who opposed austerity, the prime minister was forced but to reject its outcome and negotiate a bailout package with creditors which turned out to be even harsher.

Final Straw

Tsipras claimed how he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the face of negotiation, the man who attracted media attention, who graced the covers of magazines globally … it seemed he relished his new role.”

After Varoufakis proposed a backup strategy involving establishing a secondary currency as well as issuing vouchers to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised that it was game over questioning him: “Are you serious?”

Lasting Criticism

Within the memoir, Tsipras concludes that his former ally had proved himself to be “unfit for a deal that required intricate and sensitive management.”

He also wrote that his confrontational style left him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, while helped hawks who were advocating Grexit.

This account of history has provoked fury and shock in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has kept a conspicuous quiet on the matter.