The former mayor of Thessaloniki passed away tonight at the age of 82, Yiannis Boutaris who had been facing health problems recently. He was one of Greece’s most prominent oenologists and winemakers, and he left his mark as mayor of Thessaloniki. In fact, he continued to serve his beloved Thessaloniki right up until today as a member of the city council.
The sad news of Yiannis Boutaris' death was announced on social media by his family. “Yiannis Boutaris is no longer with us. He passed away tonight at the age of 82, surrounded by his family. A visionary, charismatic, pioneering, and unconventional figure, Yiannis Boutaris is both the story and the source of inspiration behind the renaissance of Greek wine. And not only that. He was an inexhaustible force of nature who lived up to his first name. Mr. Giannis will always be in our hearts“, according to the family's statement.
“I’ve lived it, I’ve had enough… Goodbye!”
Yiannis Boutaris was the 60th Mayor of Thessaloniki, having served in office from January 1, 2011, to August 31, 2019, after winning two consecutive municipal elections, although as early as 2018 he had decided not to run in the next local elections. “I’ve lived it, I’ve had enough… Goodbye!” he had said in an interview with the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, looking back on the past eight years. “The decision I made was easy; announcing the decision was difficult.”, ," he had added.
Born on January 6, 1942, in Thessaloniki, he was He was a businessman, politician, and oenologist, and held degrees in chemistry; since January, he had served as a Thessaloniki city council member with Spyros Pengas’s political faction.
He was of Vlach descent, from Krusovo in North Macedonia, Nymfaio in Florina, and Moschopolis in Albania. His grandfather was his namesake, Giannis Boutaris, who founded the family’s first winery in Naoussa.
He attended elementary school at the Experimental School of Thessaloniki, middle school at Anatolia College, and completed his studies in the Department of Chemistry at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In the early 1970s, he acquired his own vineyard in Giannakochori, Imathia, where he planted a pure Xynomavro vineyard, using techniques that were pioneering for the region.
He was also known for his extensive environmental activism, with a focus on wildlife, as he founded the organization «Arkturos» to protect bears, wild animals, and the natural environment of Greece’s forests.
He had served as President of the Greek Wine Association, as well as a member of the board of directors of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, and during the 1980s and 1990s, he was successfully involved in the management of the Aris basketball team, the club he had supported since childhood.
In 2020, it was published by Patakis Publications, in collaboration with Maria Mavrikaki, his autobiography, *Sixty Years of Harvest*«, which recounts his eventful life and, above all, winemaker Mr. Yiannis’s dedication to the vineyard and wine. «One thing that might define me is my relationship with wine. Even when I die, I'll die with a bottle of wine in my hand», he had said in an interview following the release of his autobiography.
Political Career
In 1992, he founded the «Thessaloniki Citizens» Association" In 2002, he was elected to the city council as part of the «Thessaloniki Now» slate led by KKE candidate Agapios Sahinis. In May 2004, he was placed in the honorary, non-electable last position on PASOK’s European Parliament candidate list, and in October 2005, he resigned from his position as city councilor due to histhe «Initiative of the 4.» In 2006, he ran as an independent candidate for mayor of Thessaloniki as the leader of the «Initiative for Thessaloniki» and came in third, garnering a share of the vote approaching 16%, while surpassing the candidates from LAOS, KKE, and SYRIZA (Karatzaferis, Sahini, and Kourakis, respectively).
He was one of the founding members of the Action party, led by Stefanos Manos, and ran in the 2009 European elections, but was not elected.
Mayor of Thessaloniki
In 2010, he won the election for mayor of Thessaloniki as the head of the coalition «Initiative for Thessaloniki», with the support of PASOK, the Democratic Left, and Action, as well as Dora Bakoyannis, who was an independent member of parliament at the time. In the second round, he received 50.18% (52,191 votes), winning by a narrow margin of 309 votes over New Democracy candidate Kostas Gioulekas, who received 49.82% (51,882 votes).
First term, 2011–2014
During the election campaign, in his campaign speeches, Yiannis Boutaris outlined his plans to build a crematorium and various monuments dedicated to the city’s Jewish community and the Young Turk Revolution, arguing that these would attract Jewish and Turkish tourists to Thessaloniki who «will come with the aim of visiting their ancestral lands.».
In 2013, during a meeting with the then Turkish Minister of European Affairs, Egemen Bağış, he expressed support for the possible establishment of a mosque and a Muslim cemetery within Thessaloniki. As a result of the systematic efforts by Yiannis Boutaris and the city’s relevant authorities to attract tourists to Thessaloniki by highlighting its multicultural past, the number of visitors to the city from Israel increased by 3,58% and from Turkey by 2,26% during the period 2010–2013.
Upon joining the municipality, he served as a key witness in the trial of former mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos, who was initially sentenced to life imprisonment for embezzling a total of 17.9 million euros and subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Court of Appeals. After spending about two and a half years in prison, he was released due to health problems.
Second term, 2014–2019
In 2014, he was once again the winner of the Thessaloniki municipal elections. His «Initiative for Thessaloniki» coalition ran as an independent with the support of PASOK, the Democratic Left, and Action. In the first round of the elections, on May 18, 2014, he received 36.04% of the vote, which was roughly equal to the combined votes of the two candidates backed by the two major parties, New Democracy and SYRIZA. In the second round, on May 25, 2014, he received 58.11% of the vote, leaving New Democracy candidate Stavros Kalafatis behind.
During his second term, the municipality collaborated with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to address the refugee crisis. In statements he made in 2016, citing the large increase in refugees at the borders of the Eidomeni region, he spoke of the need for more closed camps for migrants entering Greece, with the aim of limiting their numbers and ensuring a fair distribution among reception centers. He also announced a new initiative to help refugees temporarily staying in Diavata find work. Approximately 200 people were housed in the Limani area—down from an initial total of 350—and approximately 1,700 refugees were in Diavata, down from an initial total of 2,100.
In 2015, the redevelopment of Stock Exchange Square and Commerce Square was completed, while the city government also secured a 20 million euro investment loan from the European Investment Bank. According to him, the municipality’s efforts helped save and highlight major archaeological sites on Venizelos Street without causing the metro project to be canceled, as had initially been expected.
After nine years as mayor, he decided to announce in November 2018 that he would not be a candidate in the 2019 elections, with his term ending on August 31, 2019.
Attack on the White Tower in 2018
On May 19, 2018, during an event in Thessaloniki commemorating the Pontic Genocide, he was physically attacked with kicks, punches, and objects thrown by bystanders. Yiannis Boutaris managed to escape, but they pursued him all the way to his car, causing serious property damage as he drove away.
The perpetrators were identified, and three of them were subsequently convicted by the Thessaloniki court. The spread of fake news through far-right websites is believed to have been the trigger for the attack on the mayor of Thessaloniki. Some of these reports appeared a few days before the event and claimed that Yiannis Boutaris had approved a gay pride march for Thessaloniki Pride, which turned out to be false, as a group of left-wing gay activists organized an independent march without requesting or receiving permission from the Thessaloniki municipality.
The incident took on major social and political dimensions and was strongly condemned by the domestic and foreign press, as well as by nearly all political parties. The Turkish newspaper Hürriyet featured the attack as its lead story, with the headline «A Blow to Friendship.».
Committal for trial
He was indicted and brought to trial before the Three-Member Court of Appeals for Felonies in Thessaloniki in November 2018, along with all members of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s administration. The charges related to the period 2011–14 and, specifically, a series of double payments and allowances granted to festival employees. In December 2020, the Court of Appeals acquitted Yiannis Boutaris.
Positions and Opinions
During his two terms as mayor of Thessaloniki, Yiannis Boutaris was recognized for his its progressive policies, the support for the Jewish community, the the friendly relations it has developed with business and political circles in neighboring countries, but also the An open call to the city's LGBTQI+ community with the aim of celebrating sexual diversity and promoting inclusivity. During his tenure as mayor, the annual «Gay Pride» events were also approved, and the festival was named Thessaloniki Pride and which he attended. In 2015, he openly supported civil unions for same-sex couples and adoption by same-sex couples.
During his second term in office, he advocated for a resolution to the Macedonian issue, and in late 2017, shortly before New Year’s Day, he invited the then-prime minister of North, Zoran Zaev, to discuss relations between the two countries—an invitation that had been accepted. Following the signing of the Prespa Agreement in June 2018, In an interview with the Financial Times, Yiannis Boutaris spoke of a major success that will bring significant benefits to Greece and North Macedonia.
Personal Life
He was married for many years to Athina Michael, with whom he had three children: Michalis, Stelios, and Fani. They separated temporarily in 1981, but later decided to live together again, though without remarrying. After Michael passed away, Yiannis Boutaris fulfilled her wish not to be buried in a religious ceremony but to be cremated, which took place in neighboring Bulgaria, as there was no crematorium in Thessaloniki. Later, he was in a relationship with the Austrian Gabriela Sainer for 13 years, which ended in 2015. In June 2018, he signed a civil partnership agreement with Maria Ioannidou, which was dissolved in October 2020.
His brother, Konstantinos Boutaris, is the chairman and CEO of the Boutaris Group S.A. He was related to the now-outgoing regional governor of Central Macedonia and newly appointed Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
The Battle Against Alcohol
Yiannis Boutaris He had publicly admitted that he suffered from alcoholism during the 1980s, and since completing treatment—that is, since 1991—he has had no contact with alcohol.
In a very personal confession, he had said that «I’m an alcoholic, even though many people tell me, ’You’re not, since you don’t drink.“ No, we alcoholics always say, ”I’m an alcoholic.“ If I don’t drink today, I don’t know what will happen tomorrow.”. In response to a question about the What advice would you give to someone who is addicted? concluded that this person should first «to admit it» and to «wants to kick the habit».
Honors and Awards
Yiannis Boutaris had been elected by a vote «Mayor of the Month» worldwide, for October 2012, according to the website citymayors.com, and in 2016, he was honored in New York by the American Friends of the Jewish Museum of Greece with the award «Damascene» for his contribution to the promotion of freedom and religious coexistence in Greece.
He has been regarded, even to this day, as one of Greece's most important oenologists and winemakers.
