Friends rally to embattled DSK
Head of IMF apologises for “error of judgement” after affair with staff member.
French politicians have rushed to support Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the embattled head of the IMF who recently admitted to having an affair with a colleague.
The IMF has launched an investigation in to whether Strauss-Kahn, known as DSK, abused his position during the affair with Hungarian staff member Piroska Nagy.
The inquiry is looking into whether Mr Strauss-Kahn showed favouritism toward Ms Nagy, and whether he sought retribution once their relationship ended, according to The Wall Street Journal. It is also looking at Ms Nagy's severance package.
Mr Strauss-Kahn strongly denies any wrongdoing in his work.
However he said he fully supported the IMF investigation.
In a letter he apologised to the IMF, Ms Nagy – who he described as a “talented economist” and “accomplised professional” - and his wife Anne Sinclair.
Known as DSK in France, he is seen as one of the big hitters of the Socialist Party in France and a potential presidential candidate.
He remains a popular figure among the French.
Foreign Secretary Bernard Kouchner, who was thrown out of the Socialist Party for accepting the position from Nicolas Sarkozy said he thought the revelation of the incident was badly timed.
“I ask myself why this has appeared at a moment when with have such need of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. I think something malicious is going on, but forget all this quickly – there is work to do,” he said.
The secretary of state for digital development, Eric Besson, formerly a member of the Socialists but now an independent said the timing of the revelations was “an amazing coincidence”.
PM François Fillon, a member of the UMP, also lent his support and said it was “a totally private matter”.
“The IMF is working and we would like to see its role strengthened,” he said and added that the institution was the best structure to reform the world economic system.
In her blog Strauss-Kahn’s wife, French journalist Anne Sinclair, said that the couple had put the affair behind them and had already turned the page.
In 2006 the former World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz was forced to resign after a promotion he authorized for his companion who worked at the bank.
Photo:Guillaume Paumier Wikimedia Commons, CC-by-sa-3.0
