The expulsion of Nikolas Farantouris from SYRIZA’s European group marks the first consequence of a new political landscape emerging after Maria Karystianou announced the creation of a new political party. Notably, party members from Koumoundourou have been wavering between Alexis Tsipras and Maria Karystianou recently. This is exactly what Nikolas Farantouris did – initially attempting to approach the former prime minister’s circle, and when finding no response, turning to the president of the Tempi Victims’ Families Association.
In this specific case, personal characteristics also played a role, such as the fact that the former SYRIZA MEP followed his own autonomous path without informing anyone at Koumoundourou about his actions. However, what contributed to the final straw and forced the SYRIZA president to expel the party member was that Sokratis Famellos learned about a meeting between Nikolas Farantouris and Maria Karystianou, where the two allegedly agreed to collaborate.
Scenarios for Farantouris and SYRIZA climate after Karystianou’s attack on Tsipras
Rumors about various scenarios began monopolizing journalistic interest, with Nikolas Farantouris not clarifying his position. Within this landscape, Maria Karystianou’s attack against Alexis Tsipras further inflamed the climate in SYRIZA’s Parliamentary Group and among party members who see their political future through Alexis Tsipras’s new political formation.
Most accused Nikolas Farantouris of not reacting to Maria Karystianou’s accusations against the former prime minister, while Alexis Tsipras was the one who brought him to SYRIZA and had him as a close collaborator for years. The Tempi Victims’ Association president’s attack on Alexis Tsipras sparked major discussion, as the general impression until now was that the former prime minister was concerned by Karystianou’s moves, not the opposite. Many noted that in her recent interview, she didn’t mention other opposition parties or the government, showing who her main competitor is.
Moreover, considering that until today she mainly spoke about the government’s responsibilities regarding Tempi, while highlighting other parties’ poor handling, the attack against Alexis Tsipras over the third bailout shows her intended strategy. That is, she has decided not to remain limited to criticizing the Mitsotakis government, but desires to expand her field of action by opening the political agenda.
However, as SYRIZA officials noted, Maria Karystianou’s stance toward the former prime minister obviously shows fear, since she realizes that Alexis Tsipras still has strong social appeal. Among other things, both political forces appeal to citizens disillusioned with the political system, critical of Mitsotakis’s government policy, and suspicious of institutions.
Main competitor
Her personal references aimed to damage the former prime minister’s profile, reminding citizens that the then-SYRIZA president started with great expectations, which he later abandoned due to inexperience. Additionally, the reminder of the third bailout obviously aimed to bring back the issue of betrayed expectations and state continuity, regardless of governments.
With all this, Maria Karystianou wants to show that what she now says daily – that the new political force will move from Right to Left – is valid, as she doesn’t hesitate to criticize all parties for their mistakes. However, the Tempi Victims’ Families Association 2023 president objectively faces a major problem: she and her close collaborators politically belong to the conservative camp, so their views on all issues concerning society will move along this logic. It will therefore be particularly difficult to approach leftist voters who, under the emotional weight of the tragic accident, sided with Maria Karystianou. She is also expected to face fierce attacks from progressive parties for all her positions and views, as from now on, Martha’s mother will be judged politically, not emotionally.
Published in Parapolitika
