Collapsing case

Prior to his arrest for alleged sexual assault in May, the then managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had been seen as a possible presidential candidate for France's Socialist Party. His arrest not only forced him to resign from his post at the IMF but also appeared to put an end to whatever political aspirations he might have had.

But on Friday, July 1, there were signs that the prosecution case against him was falling apart.

As doubts emerged about the credibility of the 32-year-old Guinean luxury hotel maid's claims, Strauss-Kahn, 62 was summoned to a New York court, where he was released on his own recognizance and without bail. While he was ordered not to leave the country so that he could appear again in court later this month, he is no longer under house arrest and no longer has to wear an electric ankle bracelet.

Friday's events have led to much speculation in France that the charges against Strauss-Kahn would eventually be dropped, and sparked discussion about whether this would allow him to take a run at the Socialist presidential candidacy.

"What is there to prevent him from returning to French domestic politics?" asked fomer conservative cabinet minister Jean-Louis Borloo. "If he still has enough energy, if he still has the desire…. I have always been surprised that people wrote Strauss-Kahn off so quickly."

Some leading figures in Strauss-Kahn's Socialist Party appeared cautiously optimistic that he would soon be on the campaign trail.

"We all imagine and hope that Dominique Strauss-Kahn... will be here in a few weeks by our side and that he will be able to have a major role in the presidential election battle," Socialist MP Jean-Marie Le Guen told RTL radio.

Time running out

But the deadline for candidates to register for an American-style primary for the Socialist Party presidential nomination is July 13, just five days before Strauss-Kahn is next due to appear in court. This has led to calls from some members of the party for the deadline to be extended to give more time for Strauss-Kahn's case to be resolved and for him to make up his mind whether he does, in fact, want to run.

"With the worldwide humiliation he's been through, I think it it would be worth waiting," Michele Sabban, a close ally of Strauss-Kahn said. "I hope as much effort will go into clearing his name as it did in destroying it."

There is however no consensus about whether Strauss-Kahn could successfully revive his political ambitions - even if his name is cleared.

"Naturally this is a thunderbolt," said former Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. "But even if the charges against Dominque Strauss-Kahn are dropped – the press had a feeding frenzy."

So far, the would-be candidate himself has said nothing about his possible political future. But he did quickly take advantage of his new freedom. The former IFM chief and his wife were spotted dining out with another couple at an Italian restaurant in Manhattan's Upper East Side on Friday evening.

Author: Chuck Penfold (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Toma Tasovac