One day after the resignation of Diamantis Karanastasis from his position as MP for Course of Freedom, the party’s president Zoe Konstantopoulou, with a lengthy Facebook post on Thursday 20/11, praised the former MP.
Read: Course of Freedom: What led to Karanastasis’ resignation
The president of Course of Freedom expressed her appreciation for Diamantis Karanastasis and characterized him as an example of truth, courage and determination in politics, emphasizing that “we are not all the same and we will never be”.
Full post by Zoe Konstantopoulou on Diamantis Karanastasis’ resignation
For Diamantis: Truth against lies! We are not all the same. And we never will be.
Diamantis Karanastasis showed it once again. With courage, clarity and determination. With truth and boldness. And with personal cost, like everything he does. Making us proud.
Honoring the concept of humanity and Culture, which he always carries within him and wanted to spread, to disseminate, in Parliament and through Parliament. Honoring the office of MP, even at the moment he decided to leave it.
Others cling to offices, are dazzled by money and privileges, are sweetened by power, don’t want to abandon it, and try to keep it by any dirty means.
Diamantis envisioned politics differently. Human, creative, with soul and emotion. Looking forward, to the future, as our first slogan says, inspired by him: “We don’t look left or right, we look ahead”.
With the voices of his children asking if “Do you want life in Parliament” and with hundreds of videos and spots, all inspired by him, handmade and unique.
With social and movement actions, for foreclosures, for the Arts, the power and Independence of Artists, for Mati, for fires, for German Debts, the Debt, Water, for everything.
With his restless spirit inspiring interventions that remained in history and which we refer to today.
With cinematic videos, through which Course of Freedom communicated online with citizens, for 7 years when it was outside Parliament.
Light years ahead, which social media now imitates… With so many, many more…
With Humanity first, the slogan and message of our last magnificent event at Technopolis, a few days ago, for the presentation of the Global and Greek Network of People and the Course of Freedom Program.
A landmark event, themed “Humanity First”, which he conceived, designed, created, composed and gave shape, form, content and life to, daring to give voice and speech to artificial intelligence, to put Humanity first.
And at the same time, presenting detailed proposals for all the fields he has worked methodically and tirelessly like a digger for years, inside and outside Parliament: Culture, Education, Environment, Road Safety. But also his most pioneering proposal for a New Electoral System. Diamantis conceived, organized and gave the world an event-victory of humanity and culture, with dozens of emblematic personalities from around the world where, through 22 digital “Lives” of artificial intelligence, with the participation of distinguished people from Greece and abroad, 42 sectors of our Program were presented. A truly great moment that changed everything about how politics is done.
The last, magnificent gift of Diamantis to Course of Freedom, to which he has devoted his life and soul, from the first moment. A victory of Humanity, at a time when the Government bets on the despair and defeatism of society.
Diamantis can build a whole world from nothing. And inspire you to see it. And eventually, this world takes flesh and bones. And eventually the world changes. What Course of Freedom advocates.
I had to try hard to convince him to enter the ballot in 2023 with prospects of election. He didn’t want to.
In 2019 he had taken on the battle of Athens A alone, while also supporting all his fellow candidates, without any prospect of Course’s election to Parliament then: we had received 1.62% in the European elections and he threw himself in a few weeks into the battle of National Elections with all his being and all his creativity.
He never chose the easy road. He was always on the front line in difficult times. And always supported his fellow traveler. And was always with the weak. With the Indians, not the cowboys.
I insisted hard to convince him to enter the ballot in 2023. I knew the importance of this man entering Parliament. Whose inspiration and inventive strategy made Course of Freedom visible, when polls didn’t even record us. And it became clear who and why didn’t want such a person in Parliament.
The counter-example, who disrupts the scene, insisting on creation and quality and showing that it can be done differently.
In 2.5 years in Parliament, he managed to build a unique example of parliamentary action: a noble, gentle, kind MP, whom workers drink water in his name.
An artist, father, self-made man, a child from Larissa who came to Athens to conquer it and succeeded. Who didn’t get arrogant or forget because he became an MP and who spoke from Parliament’s podium in a completely different way. With humanity. With anguish for people, for children, for artists, for truth. With terrible need and anguish to offer to Culture and offer culture, the main reason he finally agreed to enter Parliament. Always claiming truth. Always aiming for good and creation.
Many times I was amazed by the cuts and changes he achieved through work, methodicalness and persistence, in Bills for Culture, Education, Sports and was pleasantly surprised by the wholehearted praise he received from political opponents of all factions, for his ethos and quality. I was relieved when MPs from other Opposition parties defended him vigorously and frankly against attacks from the dirtiest backstage.
Diamantis proved that by changing the example, you can eventually change the other too. And in the end change the world. What we have promised.
Diamantis has already changed so much. He has already changed the world. He changed the example of the MP.
And he recorded a multifaceted, consistent, multi-level work, with care and attention, at all levels. With quality. With dozens of different speeches in Committees and in Parliament’s Plenary. Most from the heart, having however endless work behind them.
And with hundreds of questions to Ministers on all issues. With collaborators who worked and he mentioned them from Parliament’s podium, giving credit for their work, something no one does in Parliament: he as an artist knows its importance and always gave credit to the unsung heroes.
And simultaneously carried all our Course’s communication strategy. He worked tirelessly and looked ahead, while slanderers presented him as “absent”, to harm me and Course of Freedom.
Diamantis envisioned and dreamed of politics differently. And showed us how it can be done. This is an invaluable gift to Course of Freedom, to Parliament, but mainly to society. What he did all this time, persistently, often lonely, had great cost.
The greatest was the venomous, unethical attacks he received from those who represent the mire, darkness, shadow.
From the people of dirty work, on whom the ruling system relies. Who think they can mud-sling and slander and try to dirty a clean man, who hasn’t hurt an ant, to harm the most troublesome Movement, Course of Freedom.
For all that this man and this Movement, our Course, represents and advocates.
Diamantis with his resignation gives another lesson of soul superiority. And leaves an important legacy. The mire didn’t defeat him. He defeated the mire. Because he didn’t let the mire and mud cover him. Because he didn’t let toxicity or even the office change him. He chose to be himself, to continue walking and shining in life, without letting the dirt of dirty politicians and those who don’t react to it mud him.
Diamantis, as much as it pains me that you’re leaving, as much as the void you leave cannot be filled, as much as I tried to convince you not to do it, I thank you.
I thank you for every word, every phrase, every idea, every proposal, every inspiration, every path you opened, every prospect you built, every whole world you made real.
For all that you leave alive. And for the clean, proud way you chose until the end.
Sorry I couldn’t clean this so dirty landscape yet, that makes you suffocate and leave.
Sorry I couldn’t protect you from this poison. That which drives people away from politics.
I promise you I won’t stop fighting until Parliament and our life are clean.
And the whole world and you and all of us can truly breathe. Until many, very many clean people like you enter Parliament, who care about the world and not about power.
I owe it to you…
Zoe
#Diamantis
#With_Diamantis
💪✌️🙏🫶
#together_always
