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Within his freshly published personal account, named Ithaki, the former leader Tsipras pulls no punches while he reflects on that turbulent period of Greece's economic turmoil.

A Controversial Choice

In the ex-PM's version, Tsipras appointed that unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis as the treasury head largely because of the latter's worldwide fame along with his “extremely attractive” skills as a communicator.

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

Conflicting Agendas

Tsipras claims how Varoufakis had his own agenda that included advancing Varoufakis's books and testing out his economic models on the nation instead of genuinely advocating its economic stability.

Tsipras wrote how those talks to prevent bankruptcy were “not just a method of achieving improved terms for the country. They were a test, an historic chance to prove the validity of Varoufakis's theories.”

High-Stakes Negotiations

Amid tense negotiations, Greece found itself perilously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.

At stake was both Greece's destiny and the harsh austerity measures demanded in exchange for rescue loans by foreign lenders.

Failed Options

Attempts to find funds elsewhere, including a desperate plea to Russia to buy Greek bonds, went unanswered.

Assisting Greece was tantamount to tossing cash into the garbage, Putin reportedly informed Tsipras in Moscow.

Referendum Followed by U-Turn

That summer, the punitive bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, an action that threw the EU into a deeper crisis of identity.

Although the referendum was carried decisively by those who opposed austerity, Tsipras was forced but to ignore the result then negotiate a bailout package with foreign lenders which proved to be more severe.

Breaking Point

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

“Varoufakis was the face of the talks, the man who drew media attention, who graced the front pages of publications the world over … it seemed he was enjoying the spotlight.”

After Varoufakis outlined a backup strategy that included establishing a parallel currency as well as issuing coupons to retirees, Tsipras said he realised it was game over questioning him: “Can you be serious?”

Enduring Rebuke

In the book, Tsipras concludes that Varoufakis demonstrated himself to be “unsuitable for a deal that required complex and sensitive handling.”

He also claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive approach made him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, while assisted hawks who were advocating Grexit.

The account of events has provoked anger along with shock among certain groups, whereas Varoufakis has so far kept a conspicuous quiet regarding these claims.