Two Tabloids With Full Front Page Picture of Dominique Strauss-Kahn – One Called Him 'Le Perv' And The Other, 'DSK Out' – Which Country Ran Which? (Many Of You Will Be Wrong)

Philip M. Stone May 17, 2011 Follow on Twitter

The arrest for attempted rape of Dominque Strauss-Kahn, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) chairman (DSK as the French and we will call him), in New York over the weekend is a huge story in Europe for it could well determine who is not the next President of France, the strength of the Euro, and whether those European countries going bust will get the IMF handouts they need with less restrictive terms than the rich European countries want. In the US it’s a big lurid sex scandal but for Europe it is that and much, much more.

Le Monde, France’s most prestigious newspaper and usually somewhat conservative in its news headlines blasted away with “The DSK Affair – An Earthquake for the Euro, The IMF, and The Left.” A French TV commentator summed it up, “It is impossible to overstate the shock waves.” The DSK story has everything – sex, politics, and economics – so there’s something there no matter what type of news media organization covers the story.

“Le Perv” is what the New York Daily News called him on its front page. The far-left Liberation in Paris carried the “DSK Out” headline – you’ll see English in a French newspaper headline about as often as you’ll see French in an American one! No question what was behind the Daily News’ handling but for Liberation this arrest marked a disaster for the French Left – for DSK was seen as the leading candidate to lead the Socialist Party in the Presidential elections in 12 months and the opinion polls had him handily beating the now very unpopular President Sarkozy by about a 60-40 margin – Sarkozy’s current polls are at the lowest of any sitting French President. There really is no one else with DSK’s charisma for the Left to call upon; the basic French view was that DSK was shoo-in for the Presidency – it was a runaway election that was his for the losing and as things stand now he appears to have done just that!  

It is generally agreed in France that DSK’s arrest on attempted rape and other charges, no matter what the final outcome, is the end of his political career. The French are well-known for considering a politician’s private life to remain private, but as the London correspondent for Liberation told the BBC, “There is a big difference between being a serial seducer and committing a serious criminal sex act.”

The French media are already talking publicly about what was only whispered privately until now and never really reported upon – that DSK has a reputation for the ladies. But on Sunday night, within 24 hours of his arrest, there was a bombshell from Paris -- Tristane Banon, a writer, said DSK tried to rape her back in 2002 but her mother, who confirmed the incident, convinced her to keep quiet. How many others might now come out of the woodwork? (the New York prosecutor in court alluded to another possible case).  It’s important because in these types of “he said, she said” sex cases the big question can become whether a judge will allow into evidence testimony about alleged previous similar occurrences.

Watching French TV Sunday the only story was DSK. While there was a general agreement to wait for all the facts to come out there also seemed an overwhelming view that where there was smoke there was fire – especially given the gossip about him over the years. The Socialists called it a “thunder ball” that has left them in disarray; some talked about a possible “set-up” but the basic view on the street was the man was toast. The talking heads were having a field day – such programs as “The Mystery of Suite 2808” were soon on the airwaves. Was it a set-up; was it the end of DSK etc. etc.?

All the international cable news networks carried this as a prime story, although not all had it as their top story – there was trouble going on also on Israel’s various borders – but if you really wanted to know internationally what the French were thinking then the place to tune was France 24’s English service. This was obviously a huge story in France and the publicly-funded network which obviously suffers from not enough funding -- many of its reports by international correspondents were by phone and not on camera, not even using Skype.

But its coverage was very complete, explaining not just what the arrest meant to French politics but also to European economics – DSK was to have met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday and attend a meeting of European Finance Ministers Monday and Tuesday to discuss European bailout terms. His absence was felt – the Germans want to squeeze the Greeks harder if they want more money or more time to pay off what they already have received whereas DSK took a gentler view – will the Greeks become another victim? 

That it was France 24 giving the world the complete French view of what must have made Sarkozy one happy politician could well give him pause to consider what happens to that station. He believes all  French TV should broadcast in French so what is France doing with an international English language station, but with this story getting the international coverage it has he might well think English has its uses after all in gaining such an international reach. Agence France Press (AFP) learned long ago if it wanted its rightful place on the world’s international news agency stage then it had to produce a very credible English language report – which is does.

Outside of France the stories seemed to be on two levels -- amazement that the French appeared outraged by what DSK had allegedly done for it was generally thought that in France sexual antics outside of marriage were met with a wink and a nod, and yet here were the French drawing a line in the sand between consensual sex and alleged rape. Many French at high government levels, for instance, had lobbied Switzerland last year not to extradite French film director Roman Polanski to Los Angeles even though the allegations concerned sex with an underage girl. In Italy La Repubblica had a cheeky cartoon that implied that although DSK is through in France perhaps he would be just fine in an Italian election (reference to the sexual charges that Prime Minister Berlusconi is facing in court.)

American commentators have a way of cutting to the chase. A CNN’s anchor asked legal correspondent Jeffrey Toobin about the seriousness of the charges, and Toobin, speaking via phone, again no Skype, laid it on the line: DSK was in a whole lot of trouble -- the New York Police Department takes these cases very seriously and they won’t let up and to show how serious DSK was taking it he had hired the best criminal lawyer in New York.

The police later transferred DSK from a Harlem police station where he was first being questioned (the French just couldn’t believe he was being held in Harlem!) and the couple of “perv walks”  with hands handcuffed behind him told without question when studying DSK’s stoic face just how serious this all was. That video got played over and over again in France with the general view that in spite of the alleged crimes it was very “cruel and humiliating” of the Americans to show such a man who always appears so suave in public looking so unshaven, and in such distress. 

The Monday court arraignment came at around 6 p.m. European time, perfect timing for full reporting on the main 8 p.m. French prime newscasts which most French watch. He was accused formally of some very serious sexual crimes and it did not go unnoticed to the French that the judge was a woman. She turned down bail accepting the prosecution’s argument that DSK was a flight risk having so many international contacts. Besides, the judge noted, DSK was taken off a plane that was about to leave for Paris although his lawyer noted that ticket had been booked well before the alleged crimes.

DSK didn’t enter a plea although his lawyer said he would plead not guilty to all charges. Perhaps with a tracking device attached to his ankle and giving up $1 million in bail DSK is hoping the judge will allow him to stay with his daughter in New York with whom he says he was lunching when the alleged incidents took place although the police dispute that timeline. Switzerland eventually allowed Polanski to stay in his chalet in Gstaad rather than a Zurich prison cell but a tracking device was attached to his body and the Swiss made him put up his multi-million Euro apartment in Paris as bail, so will the $1 million from a very rich man be enough to convince the Americans that DSK won’t run? 

Doubtful the French government will intervene – why should Sarkozy ask his foreign ministry to talk to the State Department – Sarkozy is very happy to have DSK stay in New York. As one French TV reporter who had flown in from Paris to New York for the court hearing asked, “How do you run for the French Presidency from New York, even if you’re not in jail?”

Next court appearance is May 20 when the media circus continues.

See also in ftm Knowledge

Media in France

French audiences are moving fast to every new platform. Mobile and Web media challenges the old guard while rule makers seek new directions. Media life in France... and a few secrets. includes updated Resources 103 pages PDF (November 2009)

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