Maria Karystianou, who became a national symbol for justice following the Tempi train disaster in February 2023 and is planning a new political party, has reopened the debate on abortion in Greece.
Speaking on OPEN TV recently, Karystianou who is a doctor, described abortion as a complex ethical issue involving both women’s rights and what she called the rights of the embryo.
“I know that abortions are legal. I am talking about the ethical issue,” she said, adding that broader public consultation could lead to a “more democratic” outcome.
“My scientific background has placed me in a position to approach the issue with care for the life that has been created, while fully recognising a woman’s right to make her own decision,” she said, arguing that the issue warrants a public consultation.
She also pointed to the point at which a child’s heart begins beating, saying that after three months it should be considered that life has been created.
The Greek Orthodox Church opposes abortion, but in Greece it remains legal within specified time limits – up to 12 weeks of pregnancy without the woman needing to provide a reason, and up to 19 weeks under strict conditions.
The abortion issue is “settled” in Greece
Karystianou’s comments have prompted a response from the government and political parties.
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the comments were shocking, particularly because they were made by a doctor, and stressed that the issue of abortion has “already been settled.”
PASOK lawmaker Panagiotis Doudonis said a woman’s right to decide over her own body was enshrined in law in 1986 and that the matter has long been closed, while SYRIZA spokesperson Kostas Zachariadis described Karystianou’s stance as an extreme-right position, emphasizing that bodily self-determination is a core achievement of Western civilization.
Karystianou set to launch political party
Earlier in January, Karystianou, whose 19-year-old daughter, Martha Psaropoulou, was one of the 57 victims of the Tempi railway crash, revealed that she and her associates are in the final stages of forming a new political party—one she claims will be built by citizens, for citizens, completely untainted by the existing political establishment.
Karystianou emphasized that the movement will not align with traditional labels like Left, Right, or Center. Instead, its “ideological compass” will be centered on accountability, meritocracy, and the rule of law.
Related: Beyond Left and Right: Karystianou’s New Movement Aims for National “Cleansing”
