IMF boss plays mum on French presidency

Strauss-Kahn has also benefitted from being removed from the daily hustle and bustle of French political life.

While he has been flying around the world for face-time with the likes of U.S. President Barack Obama or Chinese President Hu Jintao, Royal and other Socialist rivals have been bogged down in an interminable series of internal party squabbles.

Their disputes have exasperated many voters and by staying out of the fray, Strauss-Kahn has come to appear as a potential saviour who could jet in from Washington and take on Sarkozy.

The danger for Sarkozy, whose popularity ratings have been hit by disputed reforms and scandals in his own camp, is that a certain category of moderate centre-right voters who are disappointed with him could switch allegiance to Strauss-Kahn.

No guarantee

Before competing with Sarkozy, Strauss-Kahn would have to face the Socialist primaries and there is no guarantee that he would win as parts of the Socialist electorate, especially young people, see him as not far enough to the left.

He has a fearsome reputation as a ladies’ man, exacerbated by a high profile affair with an IMF colleague, that rivals might try to exploit.

He may also struggle to persuade grassroot Socialists that his heart is still anchored to the left.

For now, he is saying little, leaving others to promote him.

Newspapers Le Monde and Liberation put him on their front pages this week and ran lengthy articles analysing his every move.