Gillard, Strauss-Kahn lose popularity with Aussie, French voters
Although Prime Minister Gillard takes a narrow lead of three points against Opposition leader Tony Abbot, her popularity ratings continue to drop.
Gillard’s declining fame has been a result of her recent asylum-seekers exchange deal with Malaysia and earlier carbon tax campaign.
In the interim, the Socialist presidential candidate Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s reputation as the best choice among French voters is also in ruins.
Sexual assault allegation has robbed Strauss-Kahn the capability to unseat Nicolas Sarkozy.
A local official of the Socialist party claimed that Strauss-Kahn had attacked her daughter, Tristane Banon who is goddaughter to Strauss-Kahn's second wife, in 2002.
At that time, Banon tried to interview Strauss-Kahn for a book she was writing. Banon said that she was Straus-Kahn was very rude and forced her to fight him off.
"When we were fighting, I mentioned the word 'rape' to make him afraid, but it didn't have any effect. I managed to get out," Banon recounted.
When asked why she did not pursue to press charges then, Banon answered, "I didn't want to be known to the end of my days as the girl who had a problem with the politician."
Presently, Strauss-Kahn who is also head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected by IMF officials to step aside from his work because of the gravity of the charges against him. He cannot continue working on the European debt crisis while in confinement in New York.
This situation obscures the status of the European debt bailout negotiations. Furthermore, this raises questions about who will eventually get the chief position in the said organization.