Trade union fisherman Dimitris Kotsorgios has publicly called on Maria Karystianou, president of the Hope for Democracy party, to expel party officials over an alleged smear campaign against him. Kotsorgios, who serves as president of the Panhellenic Network of Coastal Fishing Associations, recently departed from the party. He stated that party members involved in the campaign used methods that recall the hooded informants of the German Occupation.
The former party member directed his allegations at Dimitrios Panagiotopoulos, a law professor and member of the Political Council of Hope for Democracy. Kotsorgios claimed that Panagiotopoulos holds and cites defamatory letters circulated behind the scenes to undermine targeted individuals without giving them a chance to defend themselves. He added that other former party officials have described these actions as intelligence agency tactics commonly used during internal conflict within the leadership group of Karystianou, Maria Gratsia, and Galanos.
Kotsorgios published details of the dispute on Facebook, stating that his targeting continued during a television appearance by Gratsia. He reported experiencing an unprecedented wave of mudslinging from individuals who hide behind anonymity to spread false information to party members and the public. After obtaining one of the circulated messages, Kotsorgios expressed concern over the malice of the authors and the party official reproducing the material to harm him politically.
Allegations of Internal Smear Tactics
According to Kotsorgios, the entire Political Council was aware of the defamatory letters but failed to summon him to hear his defense. He stated that if Karystianou knew about the situation, it raises serious moral and political questions regarding her leadership. He argued that the party president has a moral and political obligation to remove everyone who knew about the letters and either remained silent or used them.
Kotsorgios noted that party leaders could have easily verified allegations concerning an individual operating on behalf of an association, identified locally as M.E.P. of Aitoliko, named Theodoros. He stated that officials should have contacted the current mayor, the former mayor, the Messolonghi prosecutor office, the former Messolonghi investigating judge now based in Thessaloniki, and the president of the fishing association of Messolonghi, Aitoliko, and Oiniades. Because leadership took none of these steps, Kotsorgios claimed the party operates with the same mentality as traditional systemic politicians.
He formally requested that Karystianou uphold her stated principles of democracy, justice, transparency, and accountability by immediately dismissing all individuals involved in circulating the material. He expressed confidence that the party president would rise to the occasion and take the necessary action to defend human honor and democratic principles.
Call for Consent to Publish Messages
In a separate public statement issued from Messolonghi on August 7, 2026, Kotsorgios addressed Panagiotopoulos directly. He requested that the law professor grant public consent to publish a phone text message that Panagiotopoulos had sent to a citizen concerning Kotsorgios.
Kotsorgios noted that first year law courses teach that legal systems exist to protect weaker parties. He identified himself as the weaker party in this dispute because he cannot defend himself against anonymous accusations. Based on that imbalance, Kotsorgios argued that Panagiotopoulos has a clear moral and political duty to grant immediate permission for the text message to be made public.
Wider Wave of Party Resignations
The public dispute between Kotsorgios and party leaders comes amid a broader series of departures from Hope for Democracy. On August 8, 2026, businessman Nikos Broutzakis announced his resignation from the party. Broutzakis denounced what he called a closed caste within the organization and stated that remaining figures routinely label departing members as traitors and paid operatives.
Earlier in the week, on August 4, 2026, Katerina Moutsatsou and two other officials submitted their resignation letters to leave the party. Additional resignations occurred on August 6, 2026, when two more officials departed while criticizing a total lack of dialogue within party ranks. On August 7, 2026, former party members made further allegations, asserting that Gratsia, Galanos, Karystianou, and their inner circle had turned Hope for Democracy into a fearful, leader centric party.
Addressing the criticism on August 6, 2026, Karystianou defended her organization against media scrutiny. She stated that while one thousand members had left New Democracy to join Antonis Samaras, news outlets chose to focus heavily on a single member from Messolonghi. The initial source reporting on the controversy was published on August 8, 2026.
