Political reactions continue for Karystianou who insists on anti-abortion stand

However, Ms. Karystianou returned to the issue early yesterday, publishing a lengthy post in response to the strong reactions. As she states, “no human right is subject to consultation, is NOT an object of negotiation, and is NOT a field for political games, as some are trying to present.” At the same time, however, almost half of her post is devoted to the need for a “public dialogue” that must take place “on the real social causes that lead thousands of women to this extremely difficult decision.”

Attack on the Media
“Those who attack me on the grounds of a multidimensional medical and legal issue for which the legislator has already foreseen, do not care about the position of women today, nor about their problems, nor about the support of motherhood, nor about the low birth rate, nor about the demographic problem, nor about the rights of children, nor about the family and its survival! Nor have they thought about why a woman or a couple is driven to abortion, let alone about bioethics,” says Mrs. Karystianou, who also attacks the Media at the same time, saying that “the majority of the Media (with few exceptions that I must acknowledge) SILENTED ALL THE INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES that my interview yesterday with Messrs. Travelakis and Karamitrou, and focused SOLELY on the untimely question about abortions”.

However, Maria Karystianou’s lack of willingness to retract her initial statements, as was evident from her post yesterday, triggered a new round of reactions towards her.

Speaking to Real Fm, the President of SYRIZA PS, Socrates Famellos, clarified that his party supports “the struggle of the relatives for the crime of Tempi, we support it and we will continue to support it”, but from the moment she said that she wants to participate in the next elections, “Mrs. Karystianou is now also being judged on the serious issues of governance and rights”, noted Mr. Famellos. He himself said about abortion that it is "a fundamental right, linked to the self-determination of the female body, it is a conquest of European societies, it is not subject to consultation. It is a deeply conservative view to revise it and only in the area of ​​Trumpian ideology do similar positions occur".

For his part, Maria Karystianou's former partner, Antonis Psaropoulos, argued that "I will not comment on the role and attitude of Mrs. Karystianou, whether it bothers me or not I will keep it to myself, because it will become - more generally - an object of exploitation in the public sphere, either positively or negatively". Mr. Psaropoulos also noted that “we should not forget that regardless of what choice each relative makes, they continue to have a quality that can never be taken away until the death of the parent or relative who has lost their loved one in such a bad and violent way in this particular accident. And this applies to all relatives, even if some have also chosen the political arena”, he noted. And he concluded: “from the moment someone chooses the political arena, they will be judged by the citizens to whom they are addressed”.

In the political arena, however, Maria Karystianou also knows public supporters, such as the Cypriot MEP, Phidias Panayiotou, who told ANT1 that “perhaps we should propose to her in the future that we become a sister party or that we collaborate with the Direct Democracy party. Yes, I would like to collaborate. I am sure that we will not agree on everything.” At the same time, “I personally [believe] that abortions should be allowed because society does not look so good if it does not allow them,” continued Mr. Panayiotou, against the backdrop of Maria Karystianou’s statements on abortion.

At the same time, however, “it is one thing to transform your personal trauma into action, and it is another thing to transform the collective trauma, which is in the collective subconscious of other people, into your personal political development,” described Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, while Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis stated that “these issues have been constitutionally enshrined and what is constitutionally enshrined cannot be put up for public consultation. The whole reasoning is wrong, and especially by a doctor.” In this context, “her stigma is far-right, this is proven by her associates, by Mrs. Gratsia and by Mr. Patsikas,” described Mr. Georgiadis and concluded by noting: “it is obvious that in the next elections she will compete very hard for votes with the Greek Solution.”

Medicines, vaccines and vulnerability
Beyond abortions, the way Maria Karystianou perceives and practices her profession as a Pediatrician seems more holistic, as "natural immunity, especially now that we have realized our vulnerability to medications and vaccines, makes Holistic Pediatrics the answer to how we want to raise healthy children, in a natural way," she states on her personal, professional website in the form of a personal note, believing that "another, more natural development of the child can coexist with the safety of classical Pediatrics."