Within his recently unveiled autobiography, called Ithaki, the former leader Tsipras spares no criticism while he revisits that turbulent period of Greece's economic turmoil.
A Controversial Choice
In the ex-PM's version, he appointed the unorthodox academic Yanis Varoufakis to be the treasury head largely due to his worldwide fame along with Varoufakis's very persuasive abilities as a speaker.
“He was, in reality, more of a personality and less of an economic expert,” recalled the 51-year-old.
Conflicting Agendas
Tsipras suggests that his finance chief possessed his own motives which involved promoting his books and testing out his game theories using the nation rather than genuinely fighting for the country's economic stability.
Tsipras noted that those discussions to avoid insolvency became “not only a way of achieving a better deal for Greece. They became an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the truth of Varoufakis's ideas.”
Critical Talks
Amid volatile negotiations, the country found itself dangerously on the brink of leaving the single currency area.
At stake lay not only Greece's destiny but also the punishing cutbacks demanded in exchange for bailout funds by foreign lenders.
Failed Alternatives
Efforts to secure financing elsewhere, such as a desperate appeal to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, were rejected.
Assisting Greece was tantamount to tossing cash in the trash-can, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow.
Public Vote Followed by U-Turn
That summer, those harsh bailout terms were subjected to a public vote, a move that threw Europe into further crisis of identity.
Although the referendum was won resoundingly by voters against the cuts, the prime minister was forced but to reject its outcome and negotiate a bailout package with creditors that turned out to be even harsher.
Breaking Point
Tsipras revealed that he began to doubt his finance minister relatively soon.
“He was the face of the talks, the man who attracted publicity, who graced the covers of publications the world over … he gave the impression he was enjoying the spotlight.”
After the minister proposed a backup strategy that included creating a secondary currency and distributing coupons to retirees, the leader knew that it was the end questioning him: “Can you be serious?”
Enduring Rebuke
In the book, the author concludes that Varoufakis demonstrated himself “unsuitable for an agreement demanding intricate and delicate handling.”
He also wrote how his aggressive style left him more and more alone among peers, endangered the country, and helped hardliners who were pushing for Grexit.
The account of history has been met with anger along with shock in some quarters, while the former minister has kept a deafening silence regarding these claims.
