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Within his freshly published personal account, titled Ithaki, the former prime minister Tsipras spares no criticism while he examines the chaotic period of Greece's debt drama.

An Unconventional Choice

According to Tsipras's recollections, Tsipras selected the maverick economist Yanis Varoufakis to be his treasury head largely because of the latter's worldwide fame along with Varoufakis's “extremely attractive” abilities when it came to speaker.

“In reality, he was, in reality, more like a celebrity and less of an economist,” stated Tsipras.

Clashing Priorities

The former leader claims how his finance chief had his own motives which included promoting his books and testing out his game theories on Greece rather than truly fighting for its economic stability.

He wrote how the negotiations to prevent insolvency became “not just a way to secure improved terms for the country. They became a test, an historic chance to prove the truth of his economic theories.”

Critical Negotiations

During tense discussions, the country found itself perilously on the brink of exiting the single currency area.

On the line was not only the country's destiny but also those harsh cutbacks required in exchange for bailout funds from foreign lenders.

Failed Alternatives

Efforts to find funds from other sources, such as a desperate plea to Russia to buy Greek government bonds, went unanswered.

Assisting Greece would be equivalent to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin is reputed to have informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.

Referendum and Reversal

In July 2015, those excoriating bailout terms were put to a popular referendum, an action that threw the EU into a further crisis of identity.

Although the vote was won decisively by those against the cuts, Tsipras had little option but to ignore the result and negotiate a bailout package from creditors that turned out to be even harsher.

Breaking Point

The ex-PM revealed how he started questioning Varoufakis quite early on.

“He was the public image of negotiation, the man who attracted media attention, who graced the front pages of publications globally … he gave the impression he relished the spotlight.”

When Varoufakis outlined a backup strategy that included creating a secondary currency as well as issuing vouchers to pensioners, Tsipras said he realised that it was game over questioning him: “Can you be serious?”

Lasting Rebuke

Within the book, Tsipras concludes how Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unfit for a deal demanding intricate and sensitive handling.”

Tsipras also claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive style made him more and more alone with colleagues, put Greece at risk, and helped hawks that were advocating Grexit.

This account of events has been met with anger along with stunned disbelief in some quarters, whereas Varoufakis has kept a conspicuous quiet on the matter.