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President of the Union of Municipalities of Greece Konstantinos Askounis accused Alexis Tsipras, leader of the radical left SYRIZA party, of "backwardness", "neo-conservatism" and "demagoguery". The reason for this was Tsipras’ statement during his speech before the central committee of the party when, in conjunction with the local elections in 2014, he spoke of the need to develop a "powerful united movement for freedom and resistance in every major area, in each municipality and in every corner of the country, a movement which will destroy New Democracy and PASOK’s corrupt mayors - local feudal lords." Later the Minister of the Interior had also asked the leader of SYRIZA to apologize for the insults.

As pointed out by Konstantinos Askounis, chairman of the Union of Municipalities of Greece, "Tsipras’ statement on ‘corrupt mayors - local feudal lords’ nominated by New Democracy and PASOK who have to be destroyed shows the mindset of SYRIZA’s leader and how he perceives the local government, its institutional role and the people working in it.

Especially at a time when all municipalities are struggling to survive trying, in terms of the continuing economic crisis, to fill the place of the withdrawn welfare state and to support the socially disadvantaged citizens, Alexis Tsipras is again dividing the mayors depending on the parties which supported them in the elections, using terms and expressions typical of the division of the 1950s and 1960s.

I regret that I have to support through my statement implicit things but, as it seems, backwardness, neo-conservatism and demagoguery still exist among party functionaries who supposedly support progress and leftist ideas.

Doesn’t Alexis Tsipras understand that he offends not only those whom he is calling "local feudal lords" but also all citizens who voted for the specific persons during the elections? Unless he means that the elite of Greek voters involves only the potential voters of SYRIZA.

With his speech Alexis Tsipras supports the complete obedience of the local government and the mayors to SYRIZA and its partisan interests, violently ignoring every notion of autonomy and independence of local institutions.

Indeed, this was a "precious" intervention by Tsipras in the struggle for the emancipation of the local government from the parties and party interests."

Minister of Interior Yiannis Mihelakis made a statement in connection with the "corrupt mayors - local feudal lords" too, indicating,

"I do not know the mayor taken as a model by Alexis Tsipras but, by using similar words typical of other times, he offends not only the majority of mayors but also the thousands of citizens who voted for them.

His definitions are an insult to the local government institution itself. He is trying to vilify and divide the people, to polarize public opinion by using insults.

At the same time, he is trying to subdue the local government to his party and to turn it into a tool to serve narrow party interests.

I urge him to withdraw the insults and demonstrate respect for the institutions, the legally elected mayors and for the citizens who voted for them."

The disagreement of Dimitris Tsoukalas, a deputy of SYRIZA

Dimitris Tsoukalas, a deputy of SYRIZA, expressed his disagreement with the definition "local feudal lords" before "To Vima" radio station.

"I would not use these words. The mayors are currently following the orders of the government and the provisions of the "Kalikratis" plan and that is all. Alexis Tsipras said that the mayors should play a specific role, attract the interest of people and make demands, but today we are seeing everything else other than making demands", said Tsoukalas.

In response to the question of whether SYRIZA would support mayors previously supported by PASOK, Tsoukalas said, "If there are separate cases, they will be considered. The issue of broad-based alliance is among the decisions of the central committee of the party."