Maria Karystianos is preparing to take the next step by spring 2026, announcing the creation of a political party with herself as president. According to sources, her election is expected to emerge through democratic procedures. Those familiar with the moves being made by the president of the “Association of Victims and Relatives of Tempe 2023” say it’s inconceivable that anyone other than herself would take the reins of the new party.
Read: Karystianos party “hits” Tsipras: Polls give her over 30% – Which voter bases she draws from
Maria Karystianos’ initial plan was reportedly to make the announcement from autumn onwards, possibly even in 2027, but she has become convinced that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis might surprise with early elections, leaving her without the time frame she would need to organize. Throughout this recent period, there have been many scenarios surrounding figures who have approached her to join her politically. Among them are Movement for Democracy president Stefanos Kasselakis and MEP Nikolos Farantouris. With the latter, she even held an event in Brussels regarding Article 86 on ministerial responsibility. The chemistry between them is good, but those who know Maria Karystianos remain cautious about whether such political cooperation will proceed.
With Stefanos Kasselakis, most consider collaboration with Ms. Karystianos impossible, as the Movement for Democracy president faces internal party problems – yesterday MP Kyriaki Malama left his party. However, sources indicate that the Association president has given orders to vet those approaching her, as she doesn’t wish to collaborate with people “who have skeletons in their closets that the government could exploit against her.”
Yesterday, Maria Karystianos posted about a government strike against the Association, following Friday’s audit conducted by a team of AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) inspectors from Thessaloniki at the Association’s offices. Ms. Karystianos also stated in her post that “everything is clean and transparent, which is why I advocated from the beginning for their absolute disclosure” and called on AADE to explain the criteria used to prioritize the tax audit of the Tempe Association. Meanwhile, sources from AADE report that their team conducted no raid and that as part of routine procedure, they simply requested document submission for administrative review, following reports about the Association’s finances from fellow Tempe victim relative Nikos Plakias.
