🔗 Share this article

As he was transported at the Parisian detention facility this week, Nicolas Sarkozy posted a message brimming with resistance via social media, writing, "This isn't a former president of the nation facing incarceration this morning, it's an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal will in time give its view the truthfulness of his claim. Yet sadly for Mr Sarkozy, the spectacle and importance of his decline cannot simply be wished away.

The Conviction

France's leader during the 2007-2012 term, the former president was judged culpable of unlawful plotting to acquire illicit campaign funds from the administration of the deceased Libyan leader, the Libyan strongman. Handed a five-year sentence, he has been recorded as the initial ex-head of an EU country to enter prison, and the initial French president since the dishonored head of wartime France, the Vichy leader. Within a nation where the elected president possesses a near-royal standing, Tuesday's extraordinary spectacle was a seminal moment.

National Faith and Judicial Responsibility

In an era when trust in government bodies in France has declined drastically to the point where the lights are flashing red, it was also a sobering reminder that the law applies to all. In a poll published this week, over 65% of those surveyed stated that they believed a most of politicians were unethical, and nearly nine out of 10 said that the majority acted mainly out of self-interest. While judging Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his prison term should start immediately, the judge, the judge, said that she considered both the exceptionally grave nature of the offences and the fact that they were "likely to undermine public confidence."

Courtroom Struggles

These considerations might be deemed typical, particularly since that Mr Sarkozy has in the past been sentenced in distinct bribery proceedings. Yet the Sarkozy trial and its fallout have disturbingly laid bare the extent to which within the nation, as in other countries, the judicial framework is endangered by a increasingly common disdain for courts and the effort to control of public opinion.

Following a populist playbook, an comprehensive and precise judicial procedure has been baselessly portrayed by the former president's allies as a legal conspiracy and ideological revenge. Following the ruling in September, the former president effectively denounced his punishment as invalid and censured the "hatred" with "no restraints" that supposedly drove it. As high-ranking leaders and supporters from the traditional and radical have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the similar rhetoric, Ms Gavarino has received various menaces.

Public Response

Hearteningly, the public seems unconvinced. A survey after the ruling found clear majorities supporting both the proceedings of the courtroom process and his punishment. Yet the turmoil, and the obvious try to undermine the reputation of the judicial system, was in all likelihood only a preliminary test. In January, the far-right leader's court petition against a judgment for misuse of campaign money will occur. If the appeal fails, the far-right National Rally leader will be excluded from running in the upcoming election.

Coming Consequences

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to manage. The former president may yet be released before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his legal team. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the legal system throughout his trial have established a harmful example.