Tsakalotos on Maria Karystianou: Charismatic but Needs Serious Answers

In recent discussions about the potential entry of Maria Karystianou into politics, either with her own political party or in collaboration with Zoë Konstantopoulou, former Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos shared his views. Speaking on Action24 last Wednesday evening (12.3.25), Tsakalotos described Karystianou as charismatic but emphasized that neither the president of the ‘Tempi 2023’ association nor the president of Zoë Konstantopoulou’s Freedom Voyage demonstrates the ability to address serious societal issues. ‘Ms. Karystianou can play a role and unify certain demands in a popular way. To succeed, she must be at the end of a process. If you don’t know what you want to do, if you can’t analyze the problems, where we are, and where we want to go, I fear that however charismatic a woman may be, who is indeed charismatic and dynamic, if she doesn’t answer serious questions, she might fade quickly or not achieve much success in governance,’ Tsakalotos said. He added, ‘Charismatic personality sticks to real problems. The issue is the lack of accountability in this country. An alternative government must convince that it knows how to tackle stagnant wages, young couples unable to find housing, or worse pensions and working conditions for our children. These questions aren’t clear to me regarding answers from either Ms. Konstantopoulou or Ms. Karystianou.’ Regarding the rising poll numbers of Zoë Konstantopoulou’s Freedom Voyage, Tsakalotos commented, ‘It’s obvious why Zoë is doing well. She has had a goal for over a year, especially before the European elections, focusing on the Tempi issue, which is also a matter of justice, playing on her home field. However, when we enter serious discussions, like the housing crisis and low wages, everyone must prove they have answers.’