Maria Karystianou, the mother of a victim of Greece's deadliest rail disaster who became one of the country's most prominent voices for accountability, has formally launched a political party, declaring her movement's goal as finishing first in the pursuit of "truth and justice.
"In a post on social media timed to April 1, Ms. Karystianou announced the "Independent Citizens' Movement," calling on supporters to join what she framed as a watershed moment in Greek public life. "We are starting today as an impenetrable hope of truth, justice and dignity," she wrote, adding the movement's rallying call: "We start, for Hope."
A party website launched simultaneously, describing the movement as a grassroots initiative born from "a common need for change at last," open to people of all backgrounds, ages and professions.
The formal party name and founding declaration are to be announced shortly.
Ms. Karystianou lost her daughter in the February 2023 Tempe collision, in which 57 people — the majority of them young — were killed when two trains collided head-on in northern Greece in the country's worst rail accident.
She subsequently became the public face of the victims' families' campaign for accountability and has been a fierce critic of what she describes as institutional cover-up and political obstruction surrounding the case and its trial.
Her entry into politics had been widely anticipated. A recent GPO poll showed combined likely support for her party at around 18%, placing it in contention with established opposition forces and ahead of SYRIZA. The same poll showed her drawing voters from across the political spectrum.
The launch comes as the Tempe trial resumes in Larissa amid controversy over alleged attempts by politicians to exploit proceedings for electoral gain — the very dynamic Ms. Karystianou has positioned her movement against.