Unveiling of a controversial new statue in Thessaloniki, Greece

Unveiling of a controversial new statue in Thessaloniki, Greece, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

On Monday the mayor of Thessaloniki, along with the leadership of the conservative New Democracy opposition party unveiled a statue of the former prime minister, Kostas Karamanlis (uncle of the previous PM, Kostas Karamanlis) on the seafront.

The statue has been a source of controversy for a number of reasons not leαst being the price tag of 250,000 euros at a time when the local council is 126 million euros in debt and does not have enough money for basics such as fuel and spare parts for the rubbish collection vehicles.