Maria Karystianou has presented the political platform of her Hope for Democracy movement at the Thessaloniki International Fair, calling for cleansing and accountability across public life.
The movement leader entered the hall at Pavilion 8 to the sound of Queen's song I Want It All before opening her speech with a reference to the Tempi train disaster. An emotional Karystianou stated that the rail collision had haunted Greek society and that the deepest pain had been transformed into hope.
Karystianou, a pediatrician who became a prominent public figure following the February 2023 train crash in central Greece that killed 57 people, founded Hope for Democracy to campaign for political and legal reform. The Thessaloniki International Fair, held annually in Greece's second-largest city, traditionally serves as the primary stage for political leaders to outline major policy agendas for the upcoming year.
Judicial reform proposals
Judicial reform forms a central pillar of the movement's program, led by a proposal for the complete abolition of Article 86 of the Greek Constitution, which governs the criminal liability of ministers. The platform also calls for ending special immunity regimes and privileges, establishing a Constitutional Court, and fully digitizing the judicial system to accelerate and modernize court proceedings.
Under Article 86 of the constitution, current and former ministers enjoy parliamentary protections that require a legislative vote before prosecution can take place. Critics have long argued that the provision shields politicians from judicial oversight, particularly during investigations into public safety failures and corruption.
Foreign policy and defense strategy
On foreign policy and defense, the Hope for Democracy platform outlines a new national security strategy based on a doctrine of active deterrence and retaliation rather than passive defense. The program places strong emphasis on reinstating the Joint Defense Doctrine between Greece and Cyprus, alongside expanding the Greek presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Demographic and migration policies
Karystianou described the demographic crisis as the most serious long-term challenge facing Greece, framing it as a top national priority. Her proposals include financial and tax incentives for families, targeted housing policies for young people and large families, and expanded support for mothers.
Addressing migration, the movement leader called for stricter border controls and a clear distinction between legal and illegal entry. She said Greece required a strict but fair policy that guarantees full border control and enforces removal procedures for anyone without a legal right to remain in the country.
Agricultural sector reform
The platform places significant weight on restructuring the primary sector through the creation of a National Council for the Primary Sector, measures to dismantle commercial cartels, support for cooperative farming models, and stronger links between agricultural production and consumption.
Under the proposal, OPEKEPE, the state agency responsible for managing agricultural subsidies, would be disconnected from the tax administration authority AADE and transferred directly to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food. The movement stated that the shift aimed to increase transparency and ensure more effective oversight of farm payments.
Education and university entry
Education is designated as a primary focus area, with proposed interventions spanning from early childhood to higher education. The plan includes free support for parents from pregnancy through adolescence, the upgrading of kindergarten facilities and school infrastructure, and smaller class sizes.
The movement pledged to place permanent psychologists and social workers in all schools within four years. For high school students, the platform introduces a revised university entrance framework under which the Panhellenic Examinations would account for 40 percent of a student's final assessment, grades across the three high school years for 30 percent, personal effort and extracurricular activities for 20 percent, and social criteria for 10 percent.
Regarding higher education, Hope for Democracy pledged to strengthen public universities by upgrading infrastructure, expanding research, and boosting international presence. On private institutions, the movement stated that it respects the existing constitutional framework under Article 16 and related rulings by the Council of State, Greece's supreme administrative court. For teachers, the platform calls for decent working conditions and permanent hiring to reduce reliance on substitute teachers.
Energy and economic plan
In the energy sector, the platform proposes a mixed market model designed to limit exposure to international price swings while rejecting an early phase-out of lignite coal in favor of utilizing domestic resources under a new national energy plan. Karystianou said all proposals were fully costed and funded through resource savings and anti-corruption measures.
Economic proposals include lower value-added tax rates on basic goods, zero VAT on select baby products, reduced tax rates on medicines, adjustments to income tax and the ENFIA property tax, and a favorable tax regime for small and medium-sized businesses. The movement also called for tighter regulation of relationships between commercial banks, investment funds, and debt servicers, alongside safeguards to protect primary residences from foreclosure.
Institutional measures proposed by the movement include continuous asset declarations for all political figures and reducing the number of seats in the Hellenic Parliament from 300 to 200. Concluding her address, Karystianou presented Hope for Democracy as an alternative political movement aiming to restore public trust in state institutions, the economy, and the government while delivering sharp criticism of the current administration.
