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Within his newly released personal account, named Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras pulls no punches as he revisits the chaotic era during Greece's debt drama.

An Unconventional Appointment

As per Tsipras's version, Tsipras chose the maverick academic Varoufakis as the treasury head mainly due to his international reputation along with Varoufakis's very persuasive abilities when it came to communicator.

“In reality, he was, truthfully, more of a star and less of an economist,” wrote Tsipras.

Conflicting Agendas

The former leader suggests how his finance chief possessed a personal motives which involved advancing his books as well as testing out his own economic models on Greece instead of genuinely advocating its economic stability.

He wrote how the talks to prevent bankruptcy became “not just a way of achieving a better deal for Greece. They were a test, a monumental opportunity to prove the truth of his economic theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

During tense negotiations, Greece came dangerously close to leaving the single currency area.

On the line lay both Greece's destiny but also the severe austerity measures demanded in return for bailout funds from foreign lenders.

Failed Alternatives

Attempts to secure financing from other sources, such as an urgent appeal to the Kremlin to buy Greek bonds, were rejected.

Helping the indebted country was tantamount to throwing money into the garbage, the Russian leader is reputed to have informed his Greek counterpart during their meeting.

Referendum and Reversal

In July 2015, the harsh bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, an action which threw Europe into a further crisis of identity.

Even though the referendum was carried resoundingly by those against the cuts, the prime minister had little option to ignore the result then negotiate a rescue deal with creditors that turned out to be even harsher.

Breaking Point

Tsipras claimed that he began to doubt his finance minister relatively soon.

“Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the figure who attracted media attention, who graced the front pages of magazines the world over … it seemed he relished his new role.”

After the minister proposed a contingency plan involving creating a parallel currency as well as distributing coupons to pensioners, the leader knew that it was the end questioning him: “Are you serious?”

Enduring Rebuke

In the book, the author concludes that Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for an agreement that required intricate and delicate handling.”

Tsipras also wrote that Varoufakis's confrontational style left him more and more alone with colleagues, endangered the country, and helped hawks that were pushing for Grexit.

This account of events has provoked anger and stunned disbelief in some quarters, while Varoufakis has kept a conspicuous quiet on the matter.