Maria Karystianou, who became a national symbol for justice following the Tempi train disaster in February 2023, has reopened the debate on abortion in Greece as she prepares to form a new political party.
Speaking on OPEN TV recently, Karystianou, 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.
Maria Karystianou’s views on abortion balancing ethics and science
“My scientific background has placed me in a position to approach the issue with care for the life that has been created, while fully recognizing a woman’s right to make her own decision,” she said, arguing that the matter warrants a public consultation. Karystianou also referenced the point at which a child’s heart begins beating, suggesting that, after three months, it should be considered that life has been created.
In Greece, abortion remains legal within specified time limits: up to twelve weeks of pregnancy without requiring a reason, and up to nineteen weeks under strict conditions. The Greek Orthodox Church opposes abortion, but the law supports reproductive choice.
Government and political reactions: Abortion issue is “settled” in Greece
Karystianou’s comments prompted responses from the government and political parties. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis called the remarks shocking, particularly because they came from a doctor, and stressed that the issue of abortion has “already been settled.”
PASOK lawmaker Panagiotis Doudonis noted that a woman’s right to decide over her own body was enshrined in law in 1986 and that the matter has long been closed. 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.
“Remarks Deliberately Distorted”
In response to the criticism, Karystianou accused the majority of Greek media of deliberately distorting her remarks and ignoring what she described as far more pressing institutional and social issues.
She said no human right was being questioned or renegotiated, stressing that women’s rights are not subject to political bargaining. Karystianou argued that her reference to public dialogue was misrepresented and clarified that she was calling for a broader discussion on the social causes that lead women to abortion, including inadequate sex education, limited access to contraception, and gaps in social welfare.
She added that the demographic crisis cannot be addressed through restrictions on rights, but through stronger support for women, mothers, and families, warning that political polarization was being used to derail a wider social movement she claims is gaining momentum.
“My answer yesterday on the issue of abortion was deliberately distorted by those engaged in an organized effort to undermine me and who ruthlessly participate in a political contract of character assassination.
No human right is up for debate, is subject to negotiation, or can be used as a field for political games, as some are attempting to present it.
Those attacking me over a complex medical and legal issue—one for which the legislature has already provided—do not truly care about the position of women today, their problems, the support of motherhood, declining birth rates, the demographic crisis, children’s rights, or the family and its survival.
Nor have they considered why a woman or a couple is led to abortion in the first place—let alone issues of bioethics.
Their primary goal has been, and remains, to halt by any means necessary the intensive “gestation” of a broad movement capable of changing the conversation and placing society back at the center of public dialogue and decision-making.
The need for public dialogue that I referred to concerns the real social causes that lead thousands of women to this extremely difficult decision: inadequate information for young people, the absence of systematic sex education, limited access to modern contraception methods, and above all, gaps in social welfare.
For this reason, meaningful dialogue must focus on creating comprehensive social welfare structures for pregnant women and new mothers; free access to family planning and contraception services; support for single-parent families; and benefits and services that allow a woman not to be forced to choose between pregnancy and work or studies.
The demographic and existential crisis facing the country cannot be addressed through restrictions on rights, but through a strong social state that offers real choices and genuine support to citizens.
A woman’s freedom becomes substantive only when it is accompanied by economic security, access to healthcare, dignified working conditions, and protection of motherhood.
This is the consultation we must open: a discussion centered on public health, social welfare, and respect for institutions, so that no woman is driven into a dead end by fear, ignorance, or abandonment.
With a sense of responsibility toward women, children, and the future of the country, I believe in a society that supports them through prevention, education, and solidarity—rather than division.”
Karystianou’s upcoming political party
Earlier this January, Karystianou, whose nineteen-year-old daughter, Martha Psaropoulou, was among 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, free from the influence of 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”