🔗 Share this article

As he made his way at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader published a declaration overflowing with resistance via social media, stating, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation facing incarceration today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." An appellate court is set to give its view the truthfulness of this assertion. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the spectacle and impact of his decline cannot be ignored.

The Legal Judgment

The French head of state during the 2007-2012 term, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of unlawful plotting to secure illegal financing from the administration of the former Libyan ruler, Muammar Gaddafi. Sentenced to a five-year prison term, he has emerged as the initial ex-head of an EU country to go behind bars, and the initial French president since the shamed head of Vichy France, Philippe Pétain. Across France where the chosen leader holds a near-royal standing, Tuesday's extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

In an era when confidence in political systems in France has declined drastically to the point where warning signs are evident, it was also a sobering reminder that everyone is subject to the law. As per a study published recently, a majority of participants said that they believed a majority of politicians were dishonest, and the vast majority reported that most operated primarily out of individual benefit. In sentencing the former president and ordering that his prison term should begin without delay, the court official, the judge, declared that she took into account both the profoundly severe aspect of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Courtroom Struggles

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, notably because that Mr Sarkozy has in the past been convicted in other graft trials. Yet the former president's case and its aftermath have troublingly exposed the scope to which in France, as in other countries, the legal system is threatened by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the try to influence of the popular view.

In Trumpian fashion, an thorough and detailed court case has been falsely depicted by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a legal conspiracy and ideological revenge. Following the ruling recently, the ex-leader publicly criticized his judgment as unlawful and condemned the "hostility" with "no restraints" that allegedly motivated it. While senior politicians and supporters from the traditional and radical have filled the airwaves and conservative press with the same talking points, Ms Gavarino has been subjected to multiple threats.

Public Response

Hearteningly, the public does not appear to be buying it. A post-verdict poll found significant majorities supporting both the handling of the courtroom process and his punishment. However the drama, and the naked attempt to undermine the reputation of the judicial system, was most probably merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, the far-right leader's legal challenge against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will occur. Should she lose it, the political candidate will be ruled out from participating in the upcoming election.

Coming Consequences

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a dangerous time for the country's courts to navigate. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed prior to his appeal hearing, following a request by his attorneys. Yet the unfounded and damaging assaults on the judicial framework throughout his trial have set a damaging precedent.