Maria Karystianou has formally announced her intention to establish a political entity, inspired by the Tempi tragedy, with a platform focused on “cleansing” and “fighting corruption.” Polls indicate significant support for Karystianou, drawing potential votes from various party electorates—especially those who believed in theories about “illegal cargo” being involved in the Tempi incident. Karystianou is in talks with figures from political, academic, and social spheres to build the foundation of her new political venture.

SYRIZA views Karystianou as a “red flag” following her criticisms of Alexis Tsipras. Karystianou is targeting disillusioned voters from SYRIZA, Plefsis Eleftherias, MeRA25, as well as voters to the right of ND. Opinion polls show Niki and Plefsis Eleftherias as parties likely to lose voters to Karystianou’s new party. Meanwhile, relatives of the Tempi victims strongly oppose her political initiative.

The opposition is rattled by Karystianou’s move to formalize her political ambitions with a platform centered on “cleansing” and “fighting corruption,” rooted in the Tempi tragedy. She has become a widely recognized figure in public opinion, symbolizing the relatives’ efforts to seek justice for the victims.

Her potential voter base includes significant numbers from parties that supported the theory of “illegal, flammable cargo” on the commercial train involved in the collision on February 28, 2023. Despite strong backlash from the victims’ families, Karystianou remains committed to entering the political arena, setting high ambitions. She clarified that she will not announce her party’s founding on the anniversary of the tragedy.

The Ballot Box Study

Rumors of political moves related to the spontaneous Tempi movement have circulated for two years, but the turning point came with Karystianou’s interview on Kontra TV early in 2026, where she officially announced her plans and critiqued the current political system.

The timing of this announcement is strategic, as insiders expect early elections before the Tempi trial begins—possibly before March—driven by new developments, despite no evidence supporting the illegal cargo theory that allegedly caused the deadly fireball after the collision.

Karystianou is actively engaging with well-known and lesser-known figures from politics, academia, and civil society to build her party’s core team. Her key contacts include lawyer Maria Gratsia, Michalis Patsikas of the “Spitha” movement, former MP Nikos Nikolopoulos, and Kyriakos Tombras, president of Hypervasi, an association for “red” borrowers.