Matina Stevis blog: At a Glance: What Happens Next in Greece (WSJ, 7 May 2012)

THE MANDATE: Antonis Samaras today will receive a so-called exploratory mandate from President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias, whose role is largely ceremonial. This means he has three days to form a government. Mr. Samaras yesterday invited "all pro-European parties" to unite forces under his leadership to "keep the country in the euro" and "modify" the economic policies attached to Greece's bailout program. That implies he's likely to hold talks with most parties that have made it into parliament, apart from the neo-nazi Golden Dawn and the Communists who are both categorically anti-Europe.

If Mr.  Samaras fails, the president will call on Alexis Tsipras, leader of Syriza, to try and form a government. Mr. Tsipras had called upon all left-wing parties to join forces before the election and will do so again now. In his address on Sunday evening following the results, he said he would do the same when the exploratory mandate reached his hands. He too will have three days to build a government.

If Mr. Tsipras fails, the exercise will be repeated by Evangelos Venizelos, the leader of socialist Pasok, which was the winner of the 2009 election and the party that oversaw the country's bailout program and its debt restructuring. Mr. Venizelos Sunday said he too wanted a pro-Europe coalition.

Apparently the President doesn't have much leeway in the way he handles the government formation process.

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper