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In a newly released autobiography, named Ithaki, the former premier Alexis Tsipras pulls no punches as he revisits that chaotic period of Greece's financial crisis.

A Controversial Choice

As per Tsipras's account, he selected the maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis as the finance minister largely because of the latter's global profile and Varoufakis's highly compelling abilities when it came to speaker.

“In reality, he was, in reality, more like a personality and less of an economist,” recalled the 51-year-old.

Clashing Priorities

The former leader suggests that his finance chief had a personal motives that included promoting his books and testing out his own economic models using Greece instead of truly advocating its economic stability.

He noted how those talks to prevent bankruptcy were “not only a method of achieving improved terms for the country. They were an experiment, a monumental chance to prove the validity of his ideas.”

High-Stakes Talks

During rollercoaster negotiations, the country found itself perilously close to leaving the eurozone.

On the line lay both Greece's destiny and the harsh austerity measures demanded in return for financial aid from international creditors.

Unsuccessful Alternatives

Efforts to secure financing elsewhere, including an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek government bonds, went unanswered.

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

Public Vote and Reversal

That summer, the harsh bailout terms were put to a public vote, an action that threw Europe into further existential crisis.

Even though the vote was won resoundingly by voters against austerity, Tsipras had little option to ignore the result and agree to a bailout package with creditors that proved to be tougher.

Breaking Point

Tsipras claimed how he began to doubt Varoufakis relatively soon.

“He was the face of the talks, the figure who attracted media attention, who appeared on the covers of magazines the world over … it seemed he relished the spotlight.”

After the minister proposed a backup strategy involving establishing a secondary currency and issuing vouchers to retirees, Tsipras said he realised it was the end and asked him: “Can you be serious?”

Enduring Rebuke

Within the book, Tsipras asserts that his former ally had proved himself to be “unfit for an agreement demanding intricate and delicate handling.”

Tsipras also wrote how Varoufakis's confrontational approach made him increasingly isolated with colleagues, put Greece at risk, and assisted hardliners that were pushing for Grexit.

The retelling of history has been met with anger along with shock in some quarters, whereas the former minister has so far kept a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.