Karystianou launches new political movement ‘Hope for Democracy’ in Thessaloniki
Maria Karystianou on Thursday launched a new political movement called “Hope for Democracy” during a high-profile event at Thessaloniki’s Olympion Theater, presenting it as a citizen-driven initiative aimed at reshaping Greece’s political landscape.
Accompanied by supporters and music from Zorba the Greek at Aristotelous Square, Karystianou arrived at the venue amid heavy media attention before unveiling the party’s name and logo, featuring a dove and olive branch.
The event, delayed by about an hour, was hosted by journalist Thanassis Avgerinos and actress Katerina Moutsatsou, who became widely known during Greece’s financial crisis through her viral “I am Hellene” video.
‘Politics must return to citizens’
Addressing supporters after a video presentation featuring messages from Greeks abroad, farmers and young people, Karystianou outlined 20 founding principles of the movement.
“Today, hope for democracy is born,” she said, stressing that the initiative was not designed as a traditional political mechanism or party of power, but as an effort to return politics to ordinary citizens.
“There comes a moment in every nation when silence becomes a voice, and I believe that moment has arrived for Greece,” she told the audience.
Karystianou also said the movement and its supporters had faced sustained criticism and attacks because “ordinary citizens are challenging the establishment.”
References to Dostoevsky and ‘Crime and Punishment’
Avgerinos, wearing a shirt depicting Russian writers Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov and Fyodor Dostoevsky, drew attention to Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment during his remarks.
“Punishment is approaching for those who committed crimes,” he said, linking the literary reference to the country’s political climate.
Broad attendance at launch event
Among those attending the event were politicians, lawyers, businesspeople, local government officials, members of the Greek diaspora and former participants in the Indignants protest movement that emerged during Greece’s debt crisis.
Members of the party’s leadership team seated in the front rows included retired naval officer Athanasios Tsouganatos, former SYRIZA official Ioannis Chatziantoniou, lawyer Dimitris Panagiotopoulos, former ambassador Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, communications consultant Maria Baklava, lawyer Maria Gratsia and Stratos Siourdakis, president of the Greek community in Saint Petersburg.
