The Huffington Post Applauds Greek Mayor For Transforming His City

Thessaloniki. Photo © Anastasios71

Yiannis Boutaris, the mayor of Thessaloniki in Greece, leads a list drawn up by The Huffington Post that introduces eight mayors from around the world that are transforming their cities with flair and enthusiasm.

Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris

“While Greece has stumbled from crisis to crisis in recent years, many have said that if there is one glimmer of hope in the Hellenic nation, it’s in the form of Yiannis Boutaris, the mayor of the northern coastal city of Thessaloniki,” The Huffington Post notes.

In the article it is mentioned that Mr. Boutaris “might not look like a traditional politician” since he sports street-bought bracelets, a diamond-studded earring and a gecko tattoo, but he has tackled daunting challenges with the audacity of an experienced policymaker.

The Huffington Post underlines that despite inheriting a deficit of €100 million ($135.69 million) when he took office in early 2011, Mr. Boutaris balanced the city’s budget, revived tourism and took on widespread corruption.

“If Boutaris continues on this route, he might just be able to restore Thessaloniki to the thriving Byzantine city it once was and inspire the rest of Greece in the process.”

The list of mayors from around the world that are transforming their cities includes Tri Rismaharini (Surabaya, Indonesia), Klaus Wowereit (Berlin, Germany), Naheed Nenshi (Calgary, Canada), Anne Hidalgo (Paris, France), Gustavo Petro (Bogotá, Colombia), Annise Parker (Houston, Texas) and Mauricio Macri (Buenos Aires, Argentina).