One Queen, A “Ladies’ Man”, And A Motorbike Rider …

• May 18th, 2011
• Posted by EUEditor

It takes all types … In Ireland, Queen Elizabeth II was visiting as a peace-maker;  … in financial capitals, questions arose whether Dominique Strauss-Kahn, accused of a sex crime, could hope to stay on at the IMF;     on the race track Australia’s Casey Stoner gunned his bike to a good win at LeMans.    

WEARING OF THE GREEN

Queen Elizabeth, 85, (picture, with her husband, and President Mary McAleese), wore a green ensemble to begin her four-day visit to the Republic of Ireland.

It was the first visit to the country since she was crowned in 1953, and the first by a British monarch since 1911.

In reconciliation, the Queen laid a wreath at the memorial to independence fighters in Dublin; the visit being accorded great courtesy, including the playing of “God Save the Queen” there – but no forelock-tugging or curtsying in the Republic.

Small crowds applauded politely; and away from the main itinerary, anti-British protests drew a few hundred people.

A large security force patrolled for would-be murderers, alerted by a few threats and the discovery of a home-made bomb near the Irish capital.

DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, 62, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), failed to show at a meeting with heads of the German government, due to his being held on remand inside a New York prison, (picture, Rikers Island gaol).

He was charged with sexually assaulting a maid inside his hotel suite, (Sofitel NY, picture),  on Saturday (14.5.11); unable to get court approval to bail himself out, and therefore unable to resume work on financial bail-outs for troubled national exchequers.

He’d been expected at a meeting of European Union Finance Ministers in Brussels on Monday,  which agreed to a possible debt restructure for Greece, and proposals for legislation on emergency funds, to be sent off now to the European Parliament.

Prof. Strauss-Kahn has been the front-runner in opinion polls for next year’s Presidential elections in France, as a candidate from the right wing of the Socialist Party. (See EUAustralia Online: “France: Sarkozy protest …”, 8.9.10; “France: Shaping up to test for Sarkozy’s job”, 30.8.10).

President Nicolas Sarkozy, lagging in the same polls, has received a boost from the escapade across the sea; according to Le Monde, saying privately that it has lifted his chances. On the weekend as well, it was announced that his wife, Carla Bruni, is expecting a child, (picture, Sarkozy couple).

Other reaction in the Strauss-Kahn case has ranged from shock, to shrug; here and there some anti-Americanism (the Americans act pious; there’ll be an interview on “Oprah”); conspiracy talk (a set-up by his enemies; the mythical shadow government; what about the Rainbow Warrior?); and reviews of the man’s apparent  gregariousness with women.

A lawyer for the complainant in the case, a widow and mother in her early thirties, said his client was suffering trauma from the incident.

REVVING UP AT LE MANS

Casey Stoner, 25, got back into the 2011 Moto GP competition on Monday, winning the French Motorcycle Grand Prix.

The Australian rider, (from Southport in Queensland), on a Honda, won the opening event i n the series at Qatar, but fell back after a crash and a third-placing in the next two races.

He was fined €5000 (A$6712, xe.com 18.5.11) for striking at another rider who’d been travelling slowly,  but said later they’d exchanged apologies.

Reference

BBC News, London, “Strauss-Kahn ‘cannot run’ IMF – Treasury chief Geithner”, 18.5.11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13435283, (18.5.11).

Casey Stoner, Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Casey-Stoner/12669709198, (18.5.11).

Ed Jackson, “Stoner pulls no punches in French domination”, Canberra Times, Canberra, 17.5.11. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/, (18.5.11).

Le Monde, Paris, “Pour Sarkozy, le PS a perdu la bataille de la morale pour 2012 … en privé, il estime que l’affaire est un désastre pour le Parti socialiste …”, (Sarkozy thinks the Socialist party has lost the high ground, privately calling the Strauss-Kahn affair a disaster for the socialists), 17.5.11. www.lemonde.fr, (18.5.11).

Matthew Dalton (Dow Jones), “EU Finance Ministers Agree On Short-Selling Rules”, Wall Street Journal, NY, 17.5.11. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110517-708930.html, (18.5.11).

Pictures   Sofitel, toptenz, Wikipedia, npr

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