Comeback kid of French politics

DSK: Accused over forged bills

By BBC News Online's Alexandra Fouché

Once the golden boy of the Jospin government, France's former economy minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn - better known at home under the moniker DSK - has been cleared of corruption charges and is set to make a political comeback.

When you have a card like that in your hand, of course you are going to play it

Socialist Party secretary Francois Hollande about a DSK comeback

He had previously said he was planning to return to politics and has been helping the Socialist Party to formulate ideas for next year's election campaign.

Some observers suggest the 52-year-old may also be the ideal prime minister of a future Jospin presidency.

He was re-elected to the National Assembly in April 2001 after his spell as economy minister from 1997 to 1999, when he had to resign to face various charges of corruption.

He was accused of involvement in the Elf-Aquitaine sleaze scandal and of irregularities in billing work he carried out as a lawyer.

DSK's return would be a personal boost to Jospin's presidential hopes

As minister in charge of the economy, finance and industry, he was widely credited with the success of the Jospin administration's economic programme, praised by the International Monetary Fund as a "remarkable success".

As an economics professor and a trained lawyer, he is a respected figure in the business community.

And his marriage to the respected political journalist and former TV presenter Anne Sinclair gives him a high public profile.

During his time as minister, he was able to lend economic credibility to a left-wing government, otherwise perceived as hostile to liberal economics.

Jospin boost

The return of Mr Strauss-Kahn to the French political scene would be a boost to Lionel Jospin's chances in his presidential bid against incumbent Jacques Chirac next April.

DSK's help would be particularly welcome at a time when Mr Jospin, France's current prime minister, faces a number of growing problems, including rising unemployment, economic slowdown and the soaring crime rate.

Mr Jospin is currently struggling against Mr Chirac in the polls - with the president's support apparently unaffected by the sleaze allegations he himself faces.

DSK's return to government would also be a personal fillip for Mr Jospin, as the two men are long-standing friends.