PARIS — News of the possible collapse of sexual assault charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn stunned France on Friday, upending political calculations, challenging moral assumptions and prompting calls from supporters for his rehabilitation from what had been depicted as disgrace.
“This is like a thunderbolt,” said Lionel Jospin, a former Socialist prime minister who is close to Mr. Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund. Before he was accused of sexually assaulting a maid in a New York hotel in May, Mr. Strauss-Kahn had been considered the likely candidate of the Socialist Party to oppose President Nicolas Sarkozy in next year’s elections.
The charges seemed to draw an abrupt and indelible line across his career and ambitions. He resigned from the I.M.F. and the French Socialists began seeking a new presidential contender. But the calculations all changed when two well-placed law enforcement officials in New York indicated on Thursday that the sexual assault case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn was on the verge of collapse as investigators have uncovered major holes in the credibility of the maid who accused him of attacking her.
The case had forced France into a degree of soul-searching about the treatment of women and seemed to be propelling a new assertiveness among women, opening up a debate about male behavior toward them. Responses to the latest news seemed to suggest that the debate had become less clear-cut in part because of questions about his accuser. “This is a slap in the face of the feminists,” said Marc Marciano, 53, a trader in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a Paris suburb.
Equally, interviews with French people on the street suggested that the idea of a return to political life could also turn out to be divisive.
“People are not going to forgive him. At a political level, he is dead,” said Agnès Bergé, 44, who works for a law firm in Neuilly. “It would be terrible for France if he came and if we give him some credit again.” But Sophie Leseur, 50, an artist, said the saga could turn Mr. Strauss-Kahn into a “martyr.”
“His reputation is tarnished forever,” said Marie Chuinard, 25, a legal advisor. “I think he can come back to French political life but internationally he is burned.”
The developments emerged as France slept, leaving many to awake to a new set of repercussions, puzzles and perceptions. The news broke too late for French newspapers, but spread rapidly across television, radio and Web news outlets.
Martine Aubry, the Socialist Party leader, was quoted on the Web site of L’Express magazine as expressing “immense joy” at the report from New York. “Speaking as a friend of D.S.K., I hope the American justice system will establish all the truth and allow Dominique to get out of this nightmare,” she said, using the initials by which Mr. Strauss-Kahn is widely known in France. She declined to comment on the scheduled primary to choose a Socialist candidate or her own candidacy, L’Express said.
The development seemed to offer more ambiguous tidings for Mr. Sarkozy and his allies, and some said they had celebrated Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s political demise prematurely.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s elimination from presidential politics as a result of the sexual assault charges brought disarray to the Socialists, opening up the opposition party to new internecine strife over the choice of a presidential candidate. But the possibility of his return — in some form or another — as an influence on the presidential race brought a new set of questions.
“I think Sarkozy and his friends are going to have a very unpleasant morning,” said Claude Bartolone, a Socialist legislator.
A presidential spokesman said the French leader had no immediate comment on the matter. “The French government respects the processes of the American justice system and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty,” the spokesman said.
“I am a happy man, happy for him and for our country,” Jack Lang, a former Socialist culture minister who has ardently supported Mr. Strauss-Kahn since the accusations emerged, said on French television. “You can’t play with the honor and dignity of someone. His life was temporarily broken, his honor put into question.”
If the charges against Mr. Strauss-Kahn are dropped, he could still return to France to play a pivotal role in the upcoming presidential elections, Mr. Lang said. “He could still play a major role in France, without being candidate. This would give an extra chance for victory.” Mr. Strauss-Kahn could even be appointed a minister again under a Socialist president, he added.
Mr. Lang said he spoke by telephone with Mr. Strauss-Kahn and his wife, Anne Sinclair, in New York on Tuesday, the day that Ms. Aubry, the current Socialist leader, declared she would seek her party’s nomination for the French presidency.
“Anne told me, this is all really unjust,” Mr. Lang said.
Another Strauss-Kahn ally, Socialist legislator Jean-Marie Le Guen, said the developments in New York represented “incredible news” for Mr. Strauss-Kahn and his family. “I believe they will, without doubt, have the impression this morning that they are awakening from a long nightmare,” he said, urging the American justice system to rehabilitate Mr. Strauss-Kahn.
François Pupponi, a friend of Mr. Strauss-Kahn said he had never believed the allegations against him. “The man they depicted was not the man I knew,” he said.
At the Paris headquarters of the Socialist Party and in the nearby parliamentary offices near the National Assembly, speculation about the implications of a potential collapse of the case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn was rife.
With registration for the Socialists’ October primaries in full swing as a July 13 deadline approaches, some began lobbying for a suspension of the process to give Mr. Strauss-Kahn a chance to re-enter the race.
Others cautioned that the latest round of unexpected revelations may not be the last.
“Let’s all stay calm. The version of the story has changed before and could change again,” said Gerard Le Gall, a Socialist and public opinion expert. “It’s too early to draw any conclusions.”
Another senior Socialist, who declined to be identified, said the party could not afford knee-jerk reactions. “What if we all embrace him again and then he turns out to be guilty after all? We have to wait for a clear and definite outcome before making any decisions,” he said. “Our voters have lost trust not just in him but the party. We have to be careful.”
Still, several of Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s allies appeared to be quick to rally to his defense, following the overnight news.
Michéle Sabban, the vice president of the of regional council of the Ile-de-France region which includes Paris and a close ally of Mr. Strauss-Kahn, told the television channel i-Tele that she hoped “that his rehabilitation would be as strong as his destruction.”
If acquitted, Mr. Strauss-Kahn should be allowed to position himself and run, she said, vowing to demand a change in the primary schedule.
Former French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who was selected by the I.M.F. on Tuesday to take over Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s position as managing director, was not immediately available for comment. Her last day as finance minister was Thursday and she was preparing to start her tenure in Washington on Tuesday by holding a town hall meeting with I.M.F. employees who have been rattled by Mr. Strauss-Kahn’s arrest and the sudden upheaval at the institution.
“This doesn’t change anything,” said an I.M.F. official close to the transition. “It’s unusual, but he has resigned. She’s the new managing director, the staff are waiting for her. She has a full plate and she’s ready to hit the ground running.”
The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said the news marked “an amazing turn” in the case. I.M.F. employees were stupefied by his arrest, and worried about the damage to the institution’s credibility. For the last several weeks, however, it has become less of an issue as the European debt crisis intensified, and Greece struggled to avert a possible default on its debts.
“The staff still have a job to do. After the initial shock, everyone has focused on work,” the official said.
Katrin Bennhold, Richard Berry and Romain Parlier contributed reporting