Yiannis Boutaris, shortlisted for World Mayor 2014, has been praised as a model for all of Greece but sees himself as businessman first and mayor second Eurocrats haven’t had much positive to say about Greece’s politicians since the country was brought to its knees by the economic crisis. But a European Commission official described Yiannis Boutaris, mayor of Greece’s second city Thessaloniki, as “a beacon”. And other officials from the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank wrote that under Boutaris’ guidance the city had become an “island of hope” and a “model for all of Greece”.But Boutaris isn’t a typical Greek political. Born into the country’s oldest winemaking dynasty, he continued his family company’s success until entering politics and letting his children take over. He was elected as an independent mayor in 2010 and re-elected in September. He doesn’t see himself as a politician however, but as a “businessman taking on a new project”. Continue reading...
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