Sentence:  [...] Sarkozy appointed the no-nonsense Alliot-Marie in November to straighten out the Quai d'Orsay, as the ministry is known, after the shambolic three-year stint there of Bernard Kouchner, the glamorous humanitarian doctor. [...] She was a <WSD>safe</WSD>, uninspiring <WSD>pair of hands</WSD> who acquired a name as an enforcer. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  an experienced person (especially a leader) who can be trusted to do a decent job and not to make serious mistakes; often in relation to a task which is difficult and important; often suggesting blandness or a contrast to someone brilliant but erratic