The 60th mayor of Thessaloniki, Yannis Boutaris, assumed office in 2011 after ending twenty-four years of conservative governance in the Greek city. His career traversed viticulture, municipal administration, and business development, marked by a progressive approach to regional diplomacy and urban restoration that consistently challenged the local political establishment during his two terms.
Winemaking and Entrepreneurship
Born in Thessaloniki in 1942, Boutaris earned a chemistry degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1965 and an oenology qualification from the Wine Institute of Athens in 1967. He spent decades at the family firm, Boutari, before establishing the Kir-Yianni company in 1998. This venture operated across estates in Amyntaio and the abandoned village of Giannakochori.
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Boutaris served as mayor of Thessaloniki from 2011 to 2019, securing reelection in 2014 with 58% of the vote. His administration focused on public infrastructure projects, including the restoration of Eleftherias Square and Agias Sofias Square. He additionally campaigned for the development of a city Holocaust Museum and proposed monuments dedicated to the Young Turk Revolution and local Jewish history.
Political Conflict and Diplomacy
His efforts to improve Greece-Turkey relations and his neutral stance on the Macedonia naming dispute drew opposition from nationalists and the Metropolitan of Thessaloniki. In 2018, he was physically assaulted by a group of individuals following comments regarding historical figures. Despite this, he maintained support for ecological initiatives as a founder of Arcturos and advocated for cannabis legalization and LGBT rights.
Fast facts
- Born: 13 June 1942, Thessaloniki
- Died: 9 November 2024, Thessaloniki
- Education: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1965
- Positions: Mayor of Thessaloniki, 2011–2019
- Company: Kir-Yianni, founded 1998
- Recognitions: Mayor of the Month, October 2012
- Memoir: 60 Years of Harvests, 2021
Questions readers ask
What was the result of the 2018 assault on Yannis Boutaris?
Nine individuals, including a police officer, were convicted for the attack in 2023.
What was Boutaris's role in the Greek wine industry?
He worked for the family-run Boutari company for 27 years before founding his own winery, Kir-Yianni, in 1998.
Achievements
- Educated at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
