Maria Karystianou is the mother of a victim of the Tempi train crash. She is also the president of the victims' families association, which is seeking justice for the crime at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Zoe Konstantopoulou is the leader of a small yet increasingly influential political party that entered Greek Parliament after the 2023 elections. As a lawyer representing the victims, she has played a crucial role in the fight for a fair trial and in exposing critical information about the case.
A peek into their lives
Karystianou is a Greek pediatrician and the mother of Maria-Thomai Psaropoulou, a 21-year-old student who tragically lost her life in the Tempi train crash. Following the tragedy, Karystianou emerged as a prominent voice demanding accountability and systemic reform. She has been at the forefront of mass protests and memorial events, including a significant rally in Athens on the second anniversary of the crash, during which she addressed thousands gathered in the central Syntagma Square, across from Parliament.
Karystianou’s advocacy extends beyond national borders. She has testified before the European Parliament, criticizing the Greek government’s handling of the investigation and highlighting issues of corruption and negligence within the railway system. As the president of the Tempi 2023 Victims’ Association, she continues to lead efforts to seek justice for the victims and push for meaningful change to prevent such tragedies in the future. Her unwavering commitment has made her a symbol of resilience and a catalyst for public discourse on government accountability and infrastructure safety in Greece.
Zoe Konstantopoulou is a Greek lawyer and politician, currently the president of the political party Course of Freedom (Plefsi Eleftherias). Former President of the Hellenic Parliament (2015), Konstantopoulou is widely recognized for her strong stance on issues of justice, human rights, and government accountability.
Following the Tempi train disaster, Konstantopoulou became one of the most vocal political figures demanding transparency and justice. She has consistently accused successive Greek governments of systemic negligence and cover-ups, emphasizing the state’s failure to implement safety protocols and properly investigate the causes behind the fatal crash.
Her legal expertise and confrontational political style have made her a central figure in parliamentary debates, public demonstrations, and legal initiatives around the Tempi case. She has supported the families of victims, including Dr. Maria Karystianou, and has publicly challenged the judiciary and media for what she considers attempts to obscure the truth and protect powerful interests.
Konstantopoulou’s involvement has also been symbolic: she connects the Tempi tragedy to broader issues of institutional decay, corruption, and citizens’ rights, framing the disaster not as an isolated event but as a product of long-term structural failure.
Representation in the public sphere
Although both women have taken on an active role with remarkable courage in uncovering the truth—informing citizens who then mobilized through protests, concerts, occupations, public statements, and various forms of pressure—they are still criticized as “second-class women.” They are accused of either seeking personal publicity or “causing problems” in the process due to their “overexposure.”
They are systematically judged for their appearance, their posture and speech, and their activism, as are those who support them. They seem to be perceived as a threat or at least a disruptive force in the current political landscape. Armed with knowledge and an understanding of institutional mechanisms, they thoroughly study laws and initiate legal actions, starting with appeals to civil society: students, labor unions, communities, organizations, and every citizen affected by state arbitrariness.
For these reasons, both women have been subjected to a sexist narrative, despite leading what could be seen as a movement—a new form of collective reaction against the injustices deeply ingrained in Greek society. There has been a deliberate effort to undermine their credibility and actions, while their words are dismissed as “hysterical” or “insane.” These are labels frequently used, primarily by men, to silence women who express anger, frustration, and, ultimately, resistance to what was previously considered “normal.”
Such attacks occur primarily on social media, TV shows, in news articles, and even inside Parliament, often from political figures. These reactions may signal panic among pro-government factions or shock at the unfolding events. Ultimately, the goal appears to be to discourage and exclude these women—and, by extension, any other(s) (females)—who dare to demand justice and political engagement at this level.
Statements from MPs, journalists, and online commentators attempt to discredit Maria Karystianou by claiming that her efforts are aimed at founding a political party—a rumor spread by a well-known business-affiliated news site but later denied. Meanwhile, derogatory remarks about Zoe Konstantopoulou focus on portraying her as unfit to lead political change, reducing her rise to the TikTok phenomenon (her party was mockingly referred to by the opposition party as the “TikTok party”), despite the fact that all political leaders used social media extensively during the 2023 elections without receiving the same negative criticism.
Recently, Konstantopoulou faced a verbal attack from an MP of the ruling New Democracy party, who was expelled after telling her to “go have a baby” (so as to release them) while she was addressing Parliament. This occurred during the vote of no confidence in early March. Similarly, Maria Karystianou was called a “grieving diva” by an ex-member of Parliament and has received degrading comments on her appearance and attitude by the Greek Metropolitan priest Theoliptos.
Meanwhile, families advocating for the alleged cover-up of the Tempi disaster—including those represented by Karystianou—were mocked by Greek Minister of Justice Floridis, who said they were “trash” for proving that the crash site was tampered with shortly after the accident under the pretext of clearing the wreckage, erasing vital evidence and desecrating a site where human DNA traces were still present.
Also, a recent cartoon, published on X (formerly Twitter) by Christos Papanikos, portrays Maria Karystianou as a wild-haired, hysterical woman, collecting signatures while obstructing justice—a satirical attack on her motives. However, the wave of reactions, protests, actions, and mobilizations from students, workers, and citizens reflects something much deeper: the widespread injustice experienced under the Greek state in multiple forms.
The reasons behind the demonstrations
The Greek public is increasingly protesting and demanding justice for a range of urgent issues. Among them, the migrant victims of the 2023 Pylos shipwreck and the 2018 Mati wildfires remain without accountability, while femicides, sexual abuse cases, and the unresolved Greek #MeToo trials highlight systemic impunity.
One of the largest demonstrations of the post-junta period actually took place on February 28th, where at least 500,000 citizens participated on the anniversary of the criminal accident—not only to honor the victims but also to protest against corruption and impunity. They highlighted the general collapse of state institutions and companies that operate through collusion to the detriment of society, demanding, among other things, a fair attribution of responsibility.
Tens of thousands of workers, students, and even voters of the ruling party decided to take part in the general strike. Airports, ports, universities, most private enterprises, public employees, independent citizens, collectives, organizations, and many more took to the streets to take a stand and express their opposition to the fact that justice has yet to be served—while a systematic cover-up is being attempted due to the widespread lack of transparency that dominates at all levels.
This was, however, a historic and unprecedented mass mobilization by the country’s standards, and it continued for quite some time through concerts, assemblies, and strikes in the aftermath of the motion of no confidence. That motion called the government’s credibility into question but was ultimately rejected by a narrow margin (136 in favor – 157 against), leading to a cabinet reshuffle. This reshuffle placed controversial figures in key ministerial positions under the influence of the Trumpist doctrine, thereby recycling their power.
Economic struggles persist with low wages, pension disputes, high VAT on essential goods, and soaring inflation exacerbating financial insecurity. The migration crisis continues under harsh conditions, worsened by restrictive policies and the appointment of pro-junta Makis Voridis as Minister of Migration. Housing inaccessibility due to rising rents, mass tourism, and gentrification projects has displaced many locals.
All of these issues point to a systemic disregard for human life and welfare, intertwined with deep-seated corruption and an unregulated free market, which has concentrated wealth among a powerful elite in this Balkan-Mediterranean country—with all the consequences that entails.
For all these reasons, mass demonstrations continue, challenging the policies and logic of a corrupt system. The women who have been targeted with sexist attacks, along with citizens, organizations, student groups, and labor unions, persist in their fight for justice, calling for the lifting of political immunity, the imprisonment of those responsible, and a more equitable society. Perhaps, through this struggle, they will achieve real accountability and lasting change.
