Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Who is he: Dominique Strauss-Kahn (or DSK, by which is often referred to) is an economist, lawyer and politician who was backed by Nicolas Sarkozy to become managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) where he served from 2007 until his resignation on May 18, 2011, following charges of sexual assault in New York City. Strauss-Kahn is a professor of economics at the Paris Institute for Political Studies and has previously held other French ministerial offices. Many political experts expect Strauss-Kahn to seek the Socialist nomination for President of France in 2012. Although now a socialist, during his college years Strauss-Kahn was a communist, having joined the Union des Etidiants Communistes (UEC).

Following the meltdown and sovereign debt crisis of the later 2000s, Strauss-Kahn is reported to have said, "I am determined to pursue without delay the reforms needed for the IMF to make financial stability serve the international community, while fostering growth and employment."

An excellent sound bite but under Strauss-Kahn's leadership, the IMF continued business as usual because like the World Bank, these supra-national organizations are just tools to advance the political and monetary interests of the power elite and nothing more.

Background: Dominique Gaston André Strauss-Kahn was born on April 25, 1949 in a suburb of Paris to Jewish parents. Strauss-Kahn spent his childhood in Morocco and Monaco and attended the Lycee Carnot High School. In 1971 Strauss-Kahn graduated from HEC in Paris Institute for Political Studies (Sciences Po) in 1972. Later Strauss-Kahn received a public law degree and a Ph.D in economics from the Universite Paris X. Beginning in 1977 Strauss-Kahn taught at several universities.

Following the election of President Francois Mitterrand in 1981, Dominique Strauss-Kahn stayed out of government and became involved in the Socialist Party. Strauss-Kahn also founded a French think tank called Socialism and Judaism.

In 1986 Strauss-Kahn was elected a deputy in the National Assembly and later was nominated as a Junior Minister for Industry and Foreign Trade. Following the Socialist Party defeat in 1993, Strauss-Kahn was named chairman of the Group of Experts of the Socialist Party. In 1994 Strauss-Kahn joined a French industry EU lobby in Brussels and then in 1997 Strauss-Kahn was appointed to be Minister for Economics, Finance and Industry. From 2000 to 2007, Strauss-Kahn returned to teaching at Sciences Po and then on November 1, 2007 Dominique Strauss-Kahn was named the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund – a position he held until his resignation on May 19th, 2011, amid charges of sexual misconduct.

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