Maria Karystianou, the prominent face of the movement for justice in the Tempi rail disaster, has sparked a political firestorm y after suggesting that abortion rights in Greece could be subject to “public consultation.”
Mrs. Karystianou, a pediatrician widely expected to launch a new political party, made the comments during an interview on Open TV.
While stating she respects women’s rights, she introduced a caveat based on her medical background.
“There is a moral dimension concerning the embryo,” Mrs. Karystianou said. “When a child’s heart beats after three months, it is considered that life has been created.”
She added that major societal issues “can be resolved through public consultation,” a remark interpreted by critics as opening the door to relitigating established reproductive rights.
The backlash was swift, marking the first time the political establishment has directly attacked Mrs. Karystianou.
Her status as the mother of a 20-year-old victim of the 2023 train tragedy had previously shielded her from scrutiny.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis condemned the remarks during a press briefing.
“The most frightening thing is that this came from a physician,” Mr. Marinakis said. “There is no turning back. Every woman is responsible for their own body. Period.”
Panagiotis Doudounis, spokesman for the socialist PASOK party, was equally dismissive.
“The issue of abortion was resolved in Greece in 1986,” Mr. Doudounis said.
“It has been enshrined in law… and resolved once and for all.”
Abortion has been legal in Greece for four decades and is rarely a subject of partisan debate. Mrs. Karystianou, who recently stepped down from leading a victims’ association, has signaled she will play a key role in a new “anti-corruption” political movement.