The tragic death of Vagia Nestora, mother of New Democracy’s 1st Thessaloniki district representative, Aphrodite Nestora, following coordinated attacks by unknown assailants using incendiary devices against a total of three officials of the ruling party in the city.Solving this case has now become a “matter of honor” for the government, which appears determined to exhaust every possible avenue to locate and arrest the perpetrators. The Anti-Terrorism Service has taken charge of the investigation, as all possibilities surrounding the organized attack are being examined.
So far, it remains unclear why these three specific New Democracy officials were targeted in the Toumba and Pylaia areas.
Specifically, the home of Zisis Ioakeimovich, chairman of the New Democracy Thessaloniki Executive Committee, was targeted. The house is rented and, according to reports, is occupied by police officers.
An attack also took place at the residence of Savvas Anastasiadis, a former member of parliament for Thessaloniki B, who was away on vacation at the time.
The most tragic incident took place at the home of Aphrodite Nestora, a politician representing the First District of Thessaloniki. Her mother, Vagia Nestora, was seriously injured, transported to Hippocrates Hospital, and, despite the efforts of doctors in the Intensive Care Unit, succumbed to her injuries a few hours later.
In the past, several “blue” MPs and party officials in Thessaloniki had been targeted in attacks involving leaflets or paint, however, the use of incendiary devices constitutes a significant and particularly dangerous escalation of political violence.
According to relevant sources, the shift from symbolic acts to attacks with gas canisters—which ultimately led to the loss of human life—completely changes the situation and is treated as an extremely serious matter.
“Indiscriminate” attacks
A party official expressed the belief that this is an isolated incident and will not lead to an escalation of political violence, marking the beginning of a series of “blind” attacks, ideologically motivated and with unpredictable consequences.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the injured this afternoon and, immediately after the announcement of Vagia Nestora’s death, he issued a statement emphasizing that this tragic end confirms the “murderous and inhumane nature of blind violence in public life.” At the same time, he made it clear that there is no longer any room for inaction or hypocritical condemnations.
“There can be no tolerance for bloodshed and the polarization of the extremes,” he declared, emphasizing that the legitimacy of the state and the unity of society must definitively banish terrorism to the margins, so that “the light of the many may dispel the darkness of the few.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis linked the protection of democratic stability to the country’s overall progress, noting that Greece has managed to leave behind the bankruptcy and divisions of the past. “It will never go back,” he said, calling for a united front of responsibility, maturity, and determination in the face of violence.
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis echoed this sentiment; following the announcement of Vagia Nestora’s death, he referred to it as a “murder.”