🔗 Share this article Ex-PM Tsipras Claims Yanis Varoufakis Was ‘Unsuitable’ for the role of Greek Finance Minister During Financial Meltdown In a freshly published autobiography, called Ithaki, the former prime minister Alexis Tsipras spares no criticism as he examines the turbulent period during Greece's economic turmoil. A Controversial Choice In Tsipras's recollections, Tsipras appointed the unorthodox economist Yanis Varoufakis to be his finance minister largely due to his global profile along with his highly compelling skills as a speaker. “He was, actually, more like a personality and less of an economic expert,” recalled the 51-year-old. Conflicting Agendas The former leader claims that his finance chief possessed a personal motives which involved promoting his publications as well as testing out his own theories on Greece rather than truly advocating its economic stability. Tsipras explained how the negotiations to prevent bankruptcy were “not just a way to secure improved terms for Greece. They became an experiment, a monumental opportunity to prove the validity of Varoufakis's ideas.” High-Stakes Negotiations Amid rollercoaster negotiations, the country found itself dangerously close to leaving the single currency area. At stake lay both Greece's destiny and the severe cutbacks required in return for financial aid from foreign lenders. Failed Options Efforts to secure financing elsewhere, including a desperate appeal to Russia to purchase Greek bonds, fell on stony ground. Assisting Greece would be tantamount to throwing money in the trash-can, Putin reportedly informed his Greek counterpart in Moscow. Referendum and U-Turn In July 2015, the excoriating conditions were put to a public vote, a move that threw Europe into a further crisis of identity. Although the vote was won resoundingly by those who opposed austerity, the prime minister was forced but to reject its outcome and agree to a bailout package from creditors that turned out to be tougher. Final Straw The ex-PM claimed that he began to doubt his finance minister quite early on. “Varoufakis was the public image of the talks, the figure who attracted media attention, who graced the covers of publications globally … it seemed he relished the spotlight.” When the minister outlined a contingency plan involving establishing a secondary currency as well as distributing coupons to pensioners, Tsipras knew that it was game over and asked Varoufakis: “Are you serious?” Enduring Criticism Within the book, Tsipras concludes that his former ally demonstrated himself “unfit for a deal that required complex and delicate management.” Tsipras also claimed that Varoufakis's aggressive approach left him increasingly isolated among peers, endangered the country, and assisted hawks who were advocating a Greek exit from the euro. The account of events has provoked fury and stunned disbelief among certain groups, while Varoufakis has so far maintained a deafening silence regarding these claims.