Crooks Are Running the Country – Karystianou Is Not an Opponent

At a time of heightened tension, social distrust, and political polarization in Greece, Zoi Konstantopoulou, president of Plafsi Eleftherias (Freedom Flight), is repositioning her public strategy in ways that reveal not only her approach but also the deeper crisis of the political system.

Responding to pressures to consider Maria Karystianou a political opponent, Konstantopoulou was categorical: “She is not my political opponent,” but a mother waging a life-long struggle for justice after the Tempi tragedy. With this stance, she aims to decouple the families’ pursuit of justice from petty partisan exploitation and maintain it as a matter of social and ethical responsibility.

Her position carries particular weight in an environment where, she asserts, coordinated pressures are being applied to divide the victims’ families and shift public discussion away from the Tempi tragedy itself toward secondary political debates. Konstantopoulou describes the “system” as fearful of unity and collective memory.

She draws from past experience, recalling the Mati wildfire tragedy, where — she argues — similar attempts were made to neutralize justice efforts through institutional delays and political evasions.

At the same time, she launches a scathing attack on the government, using language rarely heard with such bluntness in political discourse. References to “cronyism” and “crooks” are not mere rhetorical flourishes but part of a broader narrative about a state detached from society and operating on clientelist, non-meritocratic principles.

The OPEKEPE scandal is presented as a symptom rather than an exception. According to her, unqualified individuals are placed in key positions, confirming that the rhetoric of meritocracy has become an empty slogan.

Amid this political backdrop, the rise of Plafsi Eleftherias in the polls is attributed by Konstantopoulou to consistency, institutional perseverance, and connection to real social demands. She rejects the logic of political “gambling” and responds ironically to scenarios of a new party from Alexis Tsipras, stressing that politics is not a game of chance.

The political message is clear:

In a country where society feels that justice is delayed, power protects itself, and responsibility is shifted, the struggle is not merely partisan.

It is a clash of values, memory, and accountability.

And in this clash, Zoi Konstantopoulou chooses to stand openly, without filters, half-measures, or political compromises.

Konstantopoulou’s choice not to treat Karystianou as a political opponent reflects a broader trend in Greek politics: the line between social justice and political confrontation is increasingly blurred. In a period where public trust in institutions is being tested and social claims carry political weight, the next phase of the political landscape appears anything but predictable.

Source: pagenews.gr