Quid pro quo to govern Thessaloniki

There is no question that either Nikos Tachiaos or Constantinos Zervas will be elected mayor of Thessaloniki on Sunday. What is at issue is whether either will be able to run the municipal authority. The system of simple proportional representation introduced under the Kleisthenis plan for restructuring local government threatens to paralyze the Municipality of Thessaloniki, much to the city's detriment.

To begin with, it will be the first time in its history that Thessaloniki will have a weak mayor with a minority vote on the council. Incumbent Yiannis Boutaris has 29 of his people on the 49-member council; Tachiaos so far has 11 and Zervas just seven, according to the outcome of the first round last Sunday. With such a small team, neither the mayor nor the party will be able to make any decisions without serious opposition. Starting with the president of the municipal...