THE resignation of the Greek Prime Minister, Mr Andreas Papandreou, threatens also to put an end to the political ambitions of his controversial wife, who had been accused of blocking moves to replace him.
Just before her husband's resignation ended almost two months of political uncertainty which began when he was taken to hospital with pneumonia, leaders of the governing Socialist Party (Pasok) were one after another advising Ms Dimitra Papandreou not to prolong the political crisis for the sake of self promotion.
"In a parliamentary democracy each person's role is defined by the constitution", said the Parliament Speaker, Mr Apostolos Kaklamanis, one of several possible candidates to replace Mr Papandreou.
Sources close to another possible future prime minister said "We have other things to do besides settling accounts with Dimitra, but she should realise that her time is up."
Even Mr Papandreou's personal physician and Health Minister, Dr Dimitris Kremastinos, who is close to Ms Papandreou, showed his exasperation when he declared that her comments "went in one ear and out the other".
Ms Papandreou (41) added fuel to the debate when she accused the Socialists of committing a "crime" by wanting to resolve the crisis before Mr Papandreou had announced his intention to retire.
The former air hostess headed her husband's private office and her influence on the former prime minister has been the subject of virulent debate for months.
"I've been called Eva Peron, and a prostitute, I wonder what they'll invent next", she said.
Ms Papandreou, who caused a scandal last autumn when the populist paper, Avriani, published nude photos of her, met the veteran politician on an aircraft, and became his third wife a year later, in 1989.