Municipality of Thessaloniki: 100 days of Angeloudi administration

By Lazaros Zachariadis*

The citizens of Thessaloniki at Municipal elections of October 2023 they condemned in a deafening way Mr. Zervas and the arrogant, destructive for the finances of the municipality and distant from citizens and problems Administration model that he developed and expressed.

At the same time he judged that Mr. Pegasus unable to manage and solve the city’s accumulated problems and inspire its future as he stood unable to handle his looming defeat.

He completely trusted Mr. Angeloudis and his diverse team, because he saw a tireless technocrat – a manager with sensitivities who was not afraid to “wrinkle”, to commit to schedules, who visited every neighborhood, who talked, who listened, who his program answered all issues and which ultimately created hope that we can make up for lost time and move forward quickly, with planning and respect for public space and the management of public money.

With 25 million euros minus and a budget that was not closed, without himself asking for time credit as a new mayor and a new administration, Mr. Angeloudis opened up all the issues and managed in just 100 days to show that with a plan, commitment to the goal and hard work you can get results in areas where previous ones not only failed, but had disastrous results.

He cleaned the city, claimed and brought money for cleanliness, for projects that had bogged down, for new projects, initiated problem solving for the school roof for the kindergartens, planted thousands of trees and above all, opened a unique relationship of contact, communication and restoration of citizens’ trust with the municipality’s Administration.

The absent Mr. Zervas and the unconvinced Mr. Pegas, panicked by the results of the first three months and contrary to their claims of a productive opposition for the good of the city, have reduced populism to a science.

They constantly pretend that they do not understand the obvious, distort the clear views of the mayor, Mr. Angeloudis, and demand solutions now for issues that have been pending since the time when they were also in charge.

They fail to understand that a real democratic leader who serves the good of his city, has no complexes and is not afraid to adopt the positive, wherever it comes from.

A leader is not disoriented by voices of populism.

It is moving FORWARD and those who put their personal interest above that of the city have 5 plus 5 years ahead of them to realize it.

*Lazaros Zachariadis is deputy mayor of Care for the Third Age of the municipality of Thessaloniki