French socialists looks for new presidential candidate after Strauss-Kahn arrest

After the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a potential presidential frontrunner for allegedly trying to rape a hotel chambermaid in New York, the Socialists in France have launched a desperate battle to limit the electoral fallout.

A woman picks up a copy of a newspaper headlining on the IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest.

France's socialist opposition, deprived by the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn of a potential presidential frontrunner, launched a desperate battle yesterday to limit electoral fallout.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, who is in jail in New York accused of trying to rape a hotel chambermaid, has left the Parti Socialiste (PS) in crisis. It must now find a strong new challenger to confront the centre-right president, Nicolas Sarkozy, in polling under a year from now.

Martine Aubry, the PS secretary, said after a Paris summit of party leaders that all were agreed on the need for "unity, responsibility and combativity".

She insisted the time was not right to say whether she would join another PS luminary, François Hollande, in seeking the nomination in October's primaries.

The French political scene has been shaken by the events surrounding a man who was, until the weekend, one of the world's most powerful financial figures.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, or DSK as he is known, remains managing director of the International Monetary Fund but few doubt he will resign to concentrate on fighting to clear his name. His expected declaration as a 2012 presidential candidate - with significant hope of victory - appears doomed.

Throughout France, there remains suspicion that he is the victim of a conspiracy. But as reports surface of his past problems with women, attention has switched to the conditions under which he is held.

The TF1 television channel devoted most of its Monday night bulletin to developments, chronicling in shocked tones the parading of the handcuffed, haggard suspect with cameramen present in force, having apparently been tipped off by the authorities.

There was also discussion of conditions in New York's Rikers Island jail, where DSK waits pending his next bail application on Friday. A report noting that he was being treated much as any suspect in the US was almost lost amid French incredulity that a prominent international figure should suffer such indignities.

Correspondents described the denial of bail as surprising, though prosecutors had cited the case of the film director Roman Polanski, safe from US extradition 33 years after fleeing to France before he was due to be sentenced for unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl of 13.

Female French politicians have been careful to express respect for the alleged victim, the 32-year old hotel employee Mr Strauss-Kahn is accused of attacking. But the socialist view was summed up by one parliamentarian, Elisabeth Guigou: "It is right that she should be protected from media exposure, but Mr Strauss-Kahn should have had the same protection."

The French intellectual and philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy said the IMF chief's treatment in the US had been "absolutely disgusting".

"Do you think for one second we would be friends if I thought DSK was a compulsive rapist, a Neanderthal, a guy who behaves like a sexual predator with women?" he asked a French radio presenter. "I do not think it's a conspiracy but I denounce a runaway judiciary and media process to manufacture guilt."

Allegations about Mr Strauss-Kahn's private life continue to tumble out. He reportedly told a journalist from the newspaper Libération last month that he had asked Mr Sarkozy at a chance meeting to ensure "forays into my personal life" stopped. He also imagined a scenario in which a woman would be paid up to €1 million (Dh5.2m) to falsely claim he had raped her.

For his part, Mr Sarkozy is said to have warned Mr Strauss-Kahn, when he secured the IMF post in 2007, to be more prudent about his womanising.

The impact on electoral opinion is still being assessed. Some polls had predicted Mr Sarkozy could be eliminated in the first round, with the socialists - especially with DSK as candidate - then defeating Martine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Front National, in the decider.

Some observers say Mr Sarkozy's gain from the affair will be offset by defections to Ms Le Pen and fringe candidates. Many political pundits see Ms Aubry, 60, and Mr Hollande, 56, as unconvincing socialist contenders and say a former prime minister, Laurent Fabius, and the high-profile mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, could make stronger candidates.

Mr Sarkozy is trying to avoid mention of Mr Strauss-Kahn's name. At a meeting with party faithful yesterday, he limited himself to stressing the need for "work, calm, unity and dignity".