Dominique Strauss-Kahn facts for kids
{{Infobox officeholder |name = Dominique Strauss-Kahn |image = Strauss-Kahn, Dominique (official portrait 2008).jpg |deputy = John Lipsky |office = Managing Director of the
International Monetary Fund |term_start = 1 November 2007 |term_end = 18 May 2011 |predecessor = Rodrigo Rato |successor = Christine Lagarde
| module =
Dominique Gaston André Strauss-Kahn (born 25 April 1949), often called DSK, is a French economist and politician. He was the tenth managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He was also a member of the French Socialist Party.
He taught economics at Paris West University Nanterre La Défense and Sciences Po. From 1997 to 1999, he served as the Minister of Economy and Finance in Lionel Jospin's government. In 2006, he tried to become the Socialist Party's candidate for president but lost to Ségolène Royal.
Strauss-Kahn became the managing director of the IMF on 28 September 2007. He had the support of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He held this important role until he resigned on 18 May 2011. After that, he started working in the private sector, mostly giving advice to governments about their national debts.
Contents
- Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Early Life
- His Family Life
- Working Outside Politics
- Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Political Journey
- Becoming a Minister: Industry and Trade
- Leading France's Economy: Minister of Finance
- Time in Opposition
- Leading the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes |office1 = Minister of the Economy, Finance, and Industry|primeminister1 = Lionel Jospin|term_start1 = 4 June 1997 |term_end1 = 2 November 1999 |predecessor1 =
|successor1 = Christian Sautter |office2 = Mayor of Sarcelles |term_start2 = 23 June 1995 |term_end2 = 3 June 1997 |predecessor2 = Raymond Lamontagne |successor2 = François Pupponi |office3 = Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade |primeminister3 = Édith Cresson
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| Born |
Dominique Gaston André Strauss-Kahn
25 April 1949 Neuilly-sur-Seine, Seine, France |
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| Political party | Socialist Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouses |
Hélène Dumas
(m. 1967; div. 1984)Brigitte Guillemette
(m. 1984; div. 1989)Anne Sinclair
(m. 1991; div. 2013)Myriam L'Aouffir
(m. 2017) |
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| Children | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | HEC Paris Sciences Po Paris Institute of Statistics Paris Nanterre University |
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| Signature |  |
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Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Early Life
Dominique Strauss-Kahn was born on 25 April 1949, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a wealthy suburb of Paris, France. His father, Gilbert Strauss-Kahn, was a lawyer. His family has a mixed background, with Jewish roots from Alsace and Tunisia, and Catholic roots from Lorraine.
In 1951, when he was young, his family moved to Agadir, Morocco. After a big earthquake there in 1960, they moved to Monaco. In Monaco, he went to school at the Lycée Albert Premier. Later, his family returned to Paris. He studied at top schools like HEC Paris and Sciences Po, graduating in the early 1970s. He also earned a PhD in economics from the Université Paris X (Nanterre) in 1977.
His Family Life
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been married four times and has five children. His first marriage was to Hélène Dumas in 1967. They had three children: Vanessa (born 1973), Marine (born 1976), and Laurin (born 1981).
His second wife was Brigitte Guillemette, whom he married in 1986. Their daughter, Camille, was born in 1985. In 1991, he married his third wife, Anne Sinclair, a well-known French journalist. They separated in 2012 and divorced in 2013. In 2017, Strauss-Kahn married Myriam L'Aouffir. He also has a son named Darius, born in 2010.
Working Outside Politics
From 1977 to 1981, Strauss-Kahn taught at the University of Nancy-II and later at the University of Nanterre. In 1982, he joined the Plan Commission, which helps plan the country's economy. He worked there until he was elected to the National Assembly in 1986.
After losing an election in 1993, Strauss-Kahn started his own company, DSK Consultants. This firm gave advice on corporate law. When he left Lionel Jospin's government, he went back to teaching economics at Sciences Po. He taught there from 2000 until he joined the IMF in 2007.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Political Journey
Strauss-Kahn began his political journey as an activist in the Union of Communist Students. In the 1970s, he joined a socialist study group where he became friends with Lionel Jospin, who would later become Prime Minister.
After François Mitterrand became President in 1981, Strauss-Kahn became more involved in the Socialist Party. He helped create a group called Socialism and Judaism. In 1986, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time. In 1988, he was elected again and became the chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Finances.
Becoming a Minister: Industry and Trade
In 1991, President Mitterrand chose him to be the Junior Minister for Industry and Foreign Trade. He kept this job in the next government until the 1993 general elections.
After his party lost the 1993 elections, Strauss-Kahn was asked to lead a "Group of Experts" for the Socialist Party. He also started his law firm, DSK Consultants, and worked as a business lawyer. In 1994, he joined a French industry group in Brussels, where he met important business leaders. Some people criticized him for this lobbying work.
In June 1995, he was elected mayor of Sarcelles. He married Anne Sinclair, a famous television journalist. To avoid any conflicts of interest, she stopped hosting her political show when he became a minister. Strauss-Kahn also stepped down as mayor to focus on his new responsibilities.
Leading France's Economy: Minister of Finance
In 1997, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin appointed Strauss-Kahn as the Minister for Economics, Finance and Industry. This made him one of the most powerful ministers in the government.
Even though it was not part of the Socialist Party's original plan, he oversaw a large program of privatization. This meant selling off parts of government-owned companies, like France Télécom, to private investors. He also made some rules less strict in the research and development sector. During his time as minister, the French economy did very well. The GDP (the total value of goods and services produced) increased, while unemployment and public debt went down. For example, 300,000 new jobs were created in 1998. This made him very popular. Strauss-Kahn also supported reducing the working week to 35 hours, a measure that was later put into action.
In 1999, he resigned from his ministerial role. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing in November 2001. After this, he was reelected as a Member of Parliament. As Minister of Economics and Finance, Strauss-Kahn lowered the VAT (a type of sales tax) for renovation work, which helped the construction industry. He also reduced the government's budget deficit, preparing France to join the eurozone (countries using the euro currency).
Time in Opposition
After Jacques Chirac won the 2002 presidential election, and his party gained control of Parliament, Strauss-Kahn was re-elected as a Member of Parliament. He later rejoined the Socialist Party's leadership in 2004. He was given the important job of helping to create the Socialist Party's plan for the 2007 presidential election.
Around this time, Strauss-Kahn also helped start a "think tank" called À gauche en Europe (To the Left in Europe). A think tank is a group that does research and offers ideas on political and economic issues. He was also one of the first French politicians to start a blog, which became very popular.
Strauss-Kahn supported a 'Yes' vote in the 2005 referendum on the European Constitution. However, more than 54% of French citizens voted 'No', which weakened his position within the Socialist Party. He sought the nomination to be the Socialist candidate for the 2007 presidential election. He came in second, behind Ségolène Royal. After Royal lost the election, Strauss-Kahn criticized his party's strategy and resigned from its national leadership. Many people thought he would try to become President of France in 2012.
Leading the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
On 10 July 2007, Dominique Strauss-Kahn became the chosen European candidate to lead the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF is an international organization that works to ensure the stability of the global financial system. It helps countries with economic problems and promotes international cooperation. He had strong support from the 27 countries of the European Union, the United States, China, and most of Africa.
On 28 September 2007, the IMF's executive directors officially selected him as the new managing director. Strauss-Kahn took over from Spain's Rodrigo Rato. He served in this important global role until his resignation on 18 May 2011.
Images for kids
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Dominique Strauss-Kahn's signature
See also
In Spanish: Dominique Strauss-Kahn para niños
