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In a recently unveiled autobiography, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras does not hold back while he examines that turbulent period during Greece's financial crisis.

A Controversial Appointment

In Tsipras's version, Tsipras selected the maverick academic Yanis Varoufakis to be his treasury head mainly due to his worldwide fame and his highly compelling skills as a public orator.

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

Conflicting Agendas

Tsipras claims how his finance chief had his own agenda which included advancing his publications as well as experimenting with his own theories using Greece instead of genuinely fighting for the country's financial survival.

Tsipras wrote how those negotiations to stave off insolvency were “not only a method of achieving improved terms for Greece. They were a test, a monumental opportunity to prove the truth of his ideas.”

High-Stakes Talks

Amid rollercoaster discussions, the country came perilously on the brink of exiting the single currency area.

At stake was not only Greece's future and the punishing austerity measures required in return for bailout funds from international creditors.

Failed Alternatives

Efforts to find financing from other sources, such as an urgent appeal to Russia to buy Greek bonds, went unanswered.

Helping Greece would be equivalent to throwing money into the garbage, Putin is reputed to have told Tsipras in Moscow.

Referendum and Reversal

That summer, those excoriating conditions were subjected to a popular referendum, a move which threw Europe into deeper crisis of identity.

Although the vote was won resoundingly by those against austerity, Tsipras had little option to reject its outcome then negotiate a bailout package with foreign lenders which proved to be tougher.

Final Straw

Tsipras claimed how he started questioning his finance minister relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the public image of negotiation, the figure who drew media attention, who graced the front pages of magazines globally … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”

After the minister proposed a contingency plan involving establishing a secondary currency and issuing coupons to pensioners, the leader said he realised that it was game over questioning Varoufakis: “Is this for real?”

Enduring Rebuke

Within the book, the author asserts that Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for an agreement that required complex and sensitive handling.”

Tsipras further claimed how Varoufakis's confrontational approach made him increasingly isolated among peers, put Greece at risk, and assisted hawks who were pushing for Grexit.

The account of events has been met with fury along with stunned disbelief among certain groups, while the former minister has so far maintained a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.