On 8 June 2018, he was expelled from New Democracy for supporting the beating of mayor of ThessalonikiYiannis Boutaris, posting "this is the fate of TRAITORS", referring to the victim's support for the Prespa Agreement, and antisemitic comments, saying "I bother Boutaris, the favourite of the Jews" and "he wears the cap. Because I don't wear the cap [...] everyone has to attack me".[3][4]