Ex-minister’s city council campaign video causes furor

A video posted on TikTok by former Conservative public order minister Giorgos Voulgarakis has caused a furor on social media, where he is accused of encouraging motorcyclists to drive without a helmet. 

In the post, Voulgarakis shows himself driving a motorcycle around the city with his helmet hanging from his elbow, while joking that taking it on and off ruins his hair – he is bald.

The video was slammed as “irresponsible” by social media users, in a country where traffic accidents claim hundreds of lives every year.

Voulgarakis, who made a failed run for the Athens mayorship in 2019, is now running for the city council on the ticket of the New Democracy incumbent, Kostas Bakoyannis.

The candidate being backed by opposition SYRIZA, Costas Zachariadis, called on Bakoyannis to strike Voulgarakis off his ticket.

The video has been taken down from Voulgarakis’ TikTok account.