The resignations of Deputy Mayors Georgios Kadi and Dimitris Michtsoglu were accepted by Serres Mayor Barbara Mitliagka after they engaged in a physical confrontation during last night’s municipal council meeting regarding the management of construction machinery.

The initial verbal confrontation escalated into a heated argument, with both men exchanging severe insults. The situation nearly turned physical, but cooler heads intervened.

Mayor Mitliagka described the incident as “unacceptable,” emphasizing that it “does not represent the ethics and values of the current municipal authority.”

“This incident,” she continued in her statement, “does not reflect the character and ethics of the two individuals involved, nor their long-standing commitment to public service and daily contributions to the municipality of Serres, which are widely recognized as very positive. They themselves realized this, and thus, demonstrating their sense of responsibility and apologizing to the people of Serres, they immediately submitted their resignations from their positions as deputy mayors, which I accepted.”

In her statement, the Mayor of Serres also underscored that she will not allow similar incidents to occur in the future, concluding with: “I have consistently fought for political civility and the eradication of toxicity in public discourse. I sincerely apologize to the people of Serres for this unacceptable incident.”

Conflict and Altercation

The two deputy mayors drew “their swords” when they began exchanging sharp accusations regarding the management of machinery and the allocation of projects in various areas. According to witnesses, the situation spiraled out of control when the verbal exchange turned physical, shocking those present.

Municipal council members intervened to separate them, while others attempted to calm the situation.