The team of Maria Karystianou reacted strongly to reports about individuals who were recorded on Sunday at the office of her close associate, Maria Gratsia, in Kolonaki, where they were signing the founding declaration of a new political venture. According to reports, these individuals allegedly express “pro-Russian influences” within the framework of the political project under formation.
For their part, associates speaking on behalf of the newly formed “Independent Citizens’ Movement” emphasize that photographing or the presence of someone next to Maria Karystianou or Maria Gratsia does not imply status as a collaborator, executive, or candidate, rejecting related claims.
In the shadow of social media posts about individuals who appear to declare themselves supporters of Karystianou’s party, the same officials note that “the Movement, its executives and its leader bear no responsibility for the past or any aspirations of anyone.” In this context, they add that “the doors of our Movement are always open, there is no face control, nor any practical way to immediately and timely check the intentions or past or criminal record of anyone approaching or being photographed.”
@greek_online_stratosa Famous 80s actor Nikos Ziagkos was present! ✍️🕊 #xekiname ♬ πρωτότυπος ήχος – 🇬🇷Στράτος ΣιουρδάκηςСтрáтος
@greek_online_stratosa Su Su calls you over! 😁
Nevertheless, they say they “do not intend to enter any kind of quarantine or isolation, nor to retreat from the principles of open, transparent, democratic formation of the network of our party organizations throughout Greece and abroad, where there are expatriates and diaspora communities, with the help of the most modern Internet technology.”
The statement from Maria Karystianou’s team
On behalf of the newly formed Independent Citizens’ Movement, we clarify that those citizens who approach Maria Karystianou or lawyer and close associate Maria Gratsia or any executive and are photographed with them, do not become collaborators, executives, or candidates of the Movement under formation, regardless of what they themselves claim. The Movement, its executives and its leader bear no responsibility for the past or any aspirations of anyone.
The doors of our Movement are always open, there is no face control, nor any practical way to immediately and timely check the intentions or past or criminal record of anyone approaching or being photographed. This transparency was precisely maintained during the process of signing the Movement’s founding declaration, when citizens came forward responding to various invitations from citizen groups and online groups. Even if it is obvious that many “planted” and ill-intentioned individuals will approach us, even if a photograph by itself cannot signify any ideological or political identification, even if it is certain that many provocations of this kind will be set up, we clarify that we do not intend to enter any kind of quarantine or isolation, nor to retreat from the principles of open, transparent, democratic formation of the network of our party organizations throughout Greece and abroad, where there are expatriates and diaspora communities, with the help of the most modern Internet technology.
Anyone proven to be supporters of organizations that are criminal under law or dictatorial regimes or enemies of our democratic system, will be automatically excluded from the ranks of the Movement or from any form of support or participation in its local organization, due to opposition to basic, non-negotiable principles of our Movement.
The Citizens’ Movement does not have governmental security and surveillance systems, is being formed for the first time by the citizens themselves and nothing will stop it in pursuing its goals, whose basic principles will be announced at its first official gathering on May 21 at “Olympion” in Thessaloniki at 18:30.
