Half of French voters want former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, whose high-profile trial on sexual assault charges could now collapse, to return to French politics, a poll released today shows.
Among the general public, 49 per cent want Mr Strauss-Kahn to return to the French political scene while 45 per cent are against it, a Harris Interactive poll of 1,000 French people aged 18 and over. Among left-leaning voters, support for his return is at 60 per cent.
The poll, published by French daily Le Parisien, was taken after Mr Strauss-Kahn's release from house arrest in New York on Friday and news that questions had been raised about the credibility of his accuser.
Before his arrest on May 14th on charges of sexually assaulting a hotel cleaner in New York, Mr Strauss-Kahn had been widely expected to challenge French president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012 elections and was the most popular among other possible contenders.
The poll also showed that while left-wing sympathisers see Mr Strauss-Kahn returning to French politics, they are less sure about whether he should take part in the 2012 presidential race.
Only 51 per cent of French left-wing voters want the Socialist Party to postpone the July 13th deadline for registering candidacies in the primary to choose the party's contender.
Mr Strauss-Kahn's next court appearance in New York will be for a hearing on July 18th hearing.
His supporters say he should have the right to run for the French presidency. If the US justice system were to clear Strauss-Kahn's name, he could still make a bid, as candidates have until mid-March to declare themselves for the April 22nd election.
But analysts say that the massive media coverage about his philandering and luxury lifestyle have damaged his image, making a 2012 run unlikely.