The fact that both Maria Karystianos and Nikos Karachalios share a common narrative thread about creating a new political movement that “will help save the country” through citizen mobilization has naturally sparked numerous scenarios and extensive discussions about the next moves of the president of the Association of Victims of the tragic Tempe train disaster.
The fact that Maria Karystianos quickly and categorically denied these scenarios, even attributing motives to her collaborator Nikos Karachalios, prompted the well-known communications expert to address his post about creating a new political entity called KYMA.
So, one day after the commotion caused by Nikos Karachalios’ post, the renowned communications specialist explained to parapolitika.gr the reasons behind this move. It’s worth noting that because Nikos Karachalios has some form of collaboration with Maria Karystianos, his post was interpreted by many as a precursor to her party, which she categorically denied.
Nikos Karachalios told parapolitika.gr that “KYMA is a spark, an encouragement, an invitation and not a provocation. It’s an organizational platform that wants to give flesh and bones to society’s demand for social and consequently political change.” According to the well-known communications expert, it’s “a positive initiative aimed at bringing together a series of dynamics that have developed from three major problems of the last decade: the Mati tragedy, coronavirus, and the Tempe tragedy.”
Karachalios: KYMA is a movement of ordinary citizens, Maria Karystianos tells everyone in her speeches “get moving, do something”
He further argued that “KYMA is a movement of ordinary citizens, not technocrats. It’s us, not the elite. Mrs. Karystianos is my friend and has asked for my technical expertise in communication and political matters. In all her speeches, she says ‘get moving, do something.’ Society wants to express itself. I will create a platform for people who can’t find a voice in mainstream media to express themselves.”
However, Maria Karystianos herself, speaking on the Editors’ Newspaper Podcast, had also spoken clearly about cleansing the political system, noting that “nothing happens by itself. It must happen through the citizens.” She had added that there doesn’t need to be one leader in such an effort, but “it could be a group of people who inspire trust.”
She had mentioned that “the solution to the problem” is already being created, since “we’ve reached lower than rock bottom,” and this solution “is being prepared very quickly.” “When this movement takes flesh and bones, it will produce its leader. If there’s a group that has solutions for everything, I will collaborate, support it, and work for it,” she had clarified when asked if she would want to lead this effort herself.
Plakias’ post about rumors of creating a new political entity under Karystianos
However, Maria Karystianos’ views find no resonance among some parents of the tragic victims. It’s characteristic that the grieving father Nikos Plakias, in a post referring to rumors about creating a new political entity under Maria Karystianos, emphasized: “The sea makes me nauseous.”
