What’s the ‘institutional affront’?

Nikos Androulakis has caused a stir by stating that PASOK will not agree to support a government headed by conservative incumbent Kyriakos Mitsotakis or leftist opposition chief Alexis Tsipras in the event of an inconclusive election. Most of the noise challenges the assumption that the prime minister does not necessarily have to be the head of the party that comes first in the vote: "Wherever did he hear such a thing?" they ask of the socialist leader. The answer is the Greek Constitution - and normally the conversation should end there.

The Greek political system is not one to let anything go, however, not even when it comes to Article 37 of the Constitution, which clearly states that: "The leader of the party having the absolute majority of seats in Parliament shall be appointed Prime Minister. If no party has the absolute majority, the President of the Republic shall...