Strauss-Kahn’s TV interview stirs debate

Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s television appearance in France on Sunday is causing much debate.

The newspapers have scorned the interview, branding it insincere and staged.

For fellow Socialist MP Jack Lang, who has stood by Strauss-Kahn, the contents of the interview came as no surprise.

“I think he gave all of the answers that were expected – the incidents that occurred at the Sofitel, on how he was charged and how those charges were dropped,” Lang said.

Strauss-Kahn’s first TV interview since his arrest in New York in May has been much anticipated.

“Everybody was saying that we should watch this interview, but I did not find it very useful. It was sad,” said Jean-Francois Cope, leader of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ruling UMP party.

In Sarcelles, a Paris suburb where Strauss-Kahn has been mayor, locals generally welcomed his return to France. Opinions about his television appearance seemed divided.

“It felt insincere, let’s say. It seemed more like it had been rehearsed,” one man said.

“He acknowledged making mistakes,” another resident commented. “You can’t expect more from him than that.”

While the newspaper headlines are digested, the question now is what is next for Strauss-Kahn. Much of the French press has noted that he has left the door ajar for an eventual political comeback.

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