Thessaloniki Mayor Boutaris Supports Venizelos

As the column "Vimatodotis" in To Vima daily notes, the Mayor of Thessaloniki was "furious" about what happened at the Zappeio Megaro during the event and the verbal attack on party president, Evangelos Venizelos by "stuck old guard PASOKcadres" and "Papandrou supporters" as he called them.

"They are fools. Imagine! They were attacking Venizelos. Personally I consider him a hero," said Yiannis Boutaris about the PASOK leader. "Even if Venizelos had all the shortconings in the world," said the Mayor of Thessaloniki.

He added, "He maybe dragging a lot of weight around, but one must recognize that he lent a hand in hard times and saved the government and the country. Even if he did just this [one thing] everyone should guard him as the apple of their eyes and it should also be recognized that the man dared and made an incredible leap by doing what he did with New Democracy. Not with the New Democracy of Karamanlis (meaning the elder), but the New Democracy of Samaras."