In one of 2011's biggest scandals, the most powerful man in world finance stands accused of forcing himself on a hotel domestic. Broken in New York following his arrest, the news came as a shock to the world, but perhaps not to his inner circle. In France, it seems even the media subscribes to a culture of turning a blind eye to these little ‘adventures,’ and word only later emerged of previous indiscretions, including the accusation of sexual assault on a female writer by Dominique Strauss-Kahn (aka DSK). Why is it that influential men on the Continent still seem to get away with less than a healthy respect for the so-called fairer sex? Whether or not DSK ends up swapping pinstripes for jailstripes, the political scene in Europe continues to bubble with a whole cauldron of sex scandals and sordid affairs. But while the British Press is only too ecstatic to reveal any intimate details uncovered to a public that delights in being scandalised, many of our neigbours’ media outlets take a more cautious approach to revealing their politicians’ escapades. One only has to look at the case of Silvio Berlusconi, a man whose political power, combined with his control of the largest broadcaster in Italy, has saved him until recently from too much unwelcome exposure.
See no bunga, hear no bunga
Signor Berlusconi’s infamous parties are now common knowledge. For anyone keeping abreast of current affairs, the phrase bunga bunga should conjure up images of raucous swimming pools, Moroccan beauties of questionably legal age and levels of decadence Nero himself might be proud of. Hard to imagine Nick Clegg or David Cameron ever attempting such a thing without getting caught. Yet Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi got away with his rampant indiscretions for years. And not just because he did his best to hush it all up.
The fact is that while the UK has made leaps and bounds in sexual equality, many countries in Europe lag far behind. The cultural contrast is often stark, and it's no surprise that DSK was apprehended in the USA and not his native France, where his presidential aspirations have been promising until now. What a Briton or American might regard as scandal, fails to ruffle many a Continental feather. I spoke recently to an Italian doctor, clearly an educated man, and asked what he thought of the aforementioned Berlusconi. His response was simply: ‘I admire him.’ Of course I pressed him on the issue of the premier's irresponsible behaviour (not to mention his harsh line on immigration and alleged corruption), but he waved this away. That was his personal life, nothing to do with his work.
No sex please, we’re British?
So are our rumour-mongering journalists simply guilty of an Anglo-Saxon prudery? Perhaps. But I prefer to think of it as an enlightened approach to equality. I’m certainly not extolling the British and American media as some blessed champion of fairness and egalitarianism; a cursory flick through the Daily Mail, or thirty seconds of Fox News would shatter any such illusions. But I do believe that the dogged determination to uncover unpleasant truths reflects a public that not only loves to see a scandal, but also feels a satisfaction that even the most powerful among us are not beyond reproach. L'affaire DSK, as the French are calling it, makes this principle painfully clear.
For an eye-opening look at why the French public is struggling to grasp what all the American fuss is about, click here
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