It now seems very likely that Dominique Strauss-Khan will be cleared. And so the previous telenovela Dsk is being replaced by a new one: does the socialist politician (and economist) still have a political future in France? Could he even present himself in next year's presidential elections and replace Nicolas Sarkozy at the top of the state? The possibility, though remote, is not entirely ruled out. In a poll just carried out by the newspaper Le Parisien, 49% of French people wish Strauss-Khan's return to the political scene (against 45% who are not in favor).
It is an encouraging result for us, given that we are fresh from the scandal, with all the revelations about the difficult (it's an understatement, of course) relationship between men and women. It is then the context of the future presidential elections that makes the Strauss-Kahn option realistic. Sarkozy is currently very weak in the polls: the French are disappointed in his management. Among the contenders in the Socialist primaries (François Hollande and Martine Aubry are currently the favorites) there are no really strong candidates. And in addition, the unknown Marine Le Pen should not be underestimated. If the godmother of the far right gets through the first round, anyone facing her, even any Dsk, could have a strong chance of winning. For the moment, Hollande has proposed moving the deadline for the presentation of nominations in the socialist primaries, set for July 13, to allow for at least 18, when the judges in New York will decide whether to definitively exonerate Strauss-Khan.
It is well known that Hollande and Dsk are not at all on the same wavelength. While Aubry, even before the scandal broke and the consequent decision to take the field, had given her support to Dsk. In short, the "elegance" of Hollande's gesture could be entirely interested... with the aim of preventing an Aubry-Dsk alliance, which would probably prove successful. And that maybe at this point it could really be the final solution of the current soap opera. Yes, Strauss-Kahn would make a comeback, but behind the scenes, those of a candidate Aubry in the 2012 elections and perhaps one day President. In the meantime, it must be said that the French, taking a peek at the polls concerning the issue, do not seem so scandalized by the sexual ménage of Dsk. While there is still the possibility of rape involved, the average French person feels that this type of matter is entirely personal. Dsk is almost becoming a victim of US imperialism, at least in the eyes of certain opinion groups (especially on the left). He would be, poor, the victim of a conspiracy.
Instead, what could disturb the same average French is Dsk's ostentatious super-rich train-de-vie, who on the very evening of the revocation of house arrest ate tagliolini with truffles for 100 dollars a plate in an Italian restaurant, surrounded by a happy brigade. How can we forget Sarkozy's collapse in the polls when, the day after his election in 2007, he had himself photographed on a yacht by his billionaire friend Vincent Bolloré? From this point of view, Dsk had already made a mistake before that embarrassing Sunday at the Sofitel in New York. At the end of April he had gone to Paris to prepare the final details of his candidacy for the socialist primaries. And he had been photographed in a shiny new black Porsche. He who was to become the champion of the French middle class, heavily impoverished in recent years, the traditional basin of the left in the country. What's more, it turned out that the Porsche had been supplied by the Lagardère group, owned by the same name Arnaud, one of the richest men in France and an early friend of Sarkozy. Yes, dear Dominique, really crazy stuff.
