The issue of the cleanliness of the city was the dominant one on the agenda of today’s (Wednesday) municipal council of the municipality of Athens and the briefing on the actions of the Cleanliness and Recycling department by the deputy mayor Roxani Evangelia Bey, however the situation got away for a completely different issue.

The occasion was a reference by Kostas Bakoyannis during his installation, when he said that “Many times in this municipal council, the Golden Dawn has supported the municipal authority”.

This caused the explosion of Harry Doukas’ faction and the intense confrontation between the two sides. The process was interrupted for a while and then the mayor of Athens took the personal floor and said:

“Mr. Bakoyiannis today completely escaped. He disrespected the memory of the dead cleaning worker by making highly derogatory and ironic comments. He tried to identify our faction with the Golden Dawn. That he cannot accept his defeat in the elections is his own problem. However, what he attempts to distort the truth in the city council it is a problem for all of us. His personal bitterness cannot push him to provocative, insulting and vulgar extremes. His absolute identification with Maximus’ line only does damage to the city. Despite the slanders and immoral attacks, Athens is and will remain a city of democracy.”

Immediately after, Mr. Doukas persistently called Mr. Bakoyannis to withdraw, but he refused. “The world has it and you have hidden pride,” he added. “Unacceptable, it’s a shame,” replied Mr. Doukas, and these rebuttals continued for some time.

Then the leaders of the other factions took the floor. Kostas Zachariadis said, among other things: “You provoke, Mr. Bakoyannis, the serious debate about cleanliness. You are turning fascists into regulators and I refuse as a democrat to show Golden Dawn as a regulator.”

“Games are being played beyond the municipality, this is what these escalations show and are disorienting,” said Nikos Sofianos.

Charalambos Yotis verbally attacked Mr. Bakoyannis, speaking of a “tragic image of the Municipal Council”, adding that there is no Golden Dawn in the Board.

Kostas Papadakis and Eleni Papadopoulou spoke about the pointless confrontation, said that what happened is offensive to everyone, and condemned it.