Sharp criticism over the inner workings of Maria Karystianou’s political venture came from Thanasis Avgerinos, as he explained the reasons behind his departure. During a discussion with MEP Feidias Panagiotou on Mount Athos, Avgerinos also responded to Karystianou’s claims of a “coup-like move” within the movement, questioning why, if such suspicions existed about him, he had been assigned a central role in presenting the founding declaration.
Avgerinos went on to criticize the way the new party operates, citing a phrase he attributed to Karystianou herself — that “this party is two women and many soldiers.” He argued that a new political venture cannot reproduce the same lack of democratic principles it criticizes in traditional parties, while also taking clear aim at individuals who, in his view, are primarily interested in securing parliamentary seats and getting into parliament.
Read: All of Tsipras’ ELAS candidates — the stronghold regions and the figures set to clash
Avgerinos fires back
Avgerinos directly challenged Karystianou’s accusations of a “coup-like move” within the movement, openly disputing the claim. He questioned why, if such suspicions about him existed, he had still been given the central role of presenting the party’s founding declaration. “I heard Maria Karystianou say that I am participating in a coup-like move within the movement,” Avgerinos said, adding: “I imagine that if you believe that and you are a leader, you don’t put that person in charge of delivering the central presentation of the founding declaration.”
When MEP Feidias Panagiotou asked him to elaborate on the reasons for his departure, Avgerinos turned his attention to what he described as the fundamental way the new political venture operates. He pointedly cited a phrase he attributed to Karystianou herself: “As Maria Karystianou herself said, this party is two women and many soldiers.” He argued that a new political movement cannot replicate the very practices it criticizes in traditional parties — namely, a lack of internal democracy and behaviors that, in his words, contradict the “new grassroots character” the venture was supposed to embody.
He also made thinly veiled references to individuals whose primary goal, he suggested, is gaining entry into parliament and securing seats. “If we wanted to create a party just like the others — with its lack of democracy, its dishonesty […] that simply cares about parliamentary seats and wants to get into parliament — that contradicts the very essence of our political vision,” he said.
During the discussion, MEP Feidias Panagiotou raised the possibility that the movement’s leadership may have viewed Avgerinos as a potential internal threat. “Maybe they saw you as someone who could be a threat to them,” the MEP remarked. Avgerinos dismissed the scenario as absurd, responding: “I find it very amusing that anyone would believe Avgerinos is going to take over a party called Maria Karystianou.”
