As he was transported at the Parisian detention facility on Tuesday, the former French leader published a statement filled with resistance via social media, writing, "This isn't a ex-leader of the republic entering prison today, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." An appellate court will in time decide regarding the accuracy of that statement. But unfortunately for the ex-president, the turmoil and significance of his fall cannot simply be wished away.
President of France between 2007 and 2012, the former president was judged culpable of unlawful plotting to acquire illicit campaign funds from the regime of the former Libyan ruler, Colonel Gaddafi. Sentenced to a five-year prison term, he has been recorded as the pioneering past president of an European Union nation to be imprisoned, and the earliest French head of state since the shamed head of the Vichy regime, Philippe Pétain. Within a nation where the elected president enjoys a near-royal standing, Tuesday's unprecedented scene was a defining instance.
At a time when faith in political institutions in France has declined drastically to the point where the lights are flashing red, it was also a salutary demonstration that the law applies to all. In a poll released on Tuesday, a majority of participants said that they believed a most of government figures were unethical, and almost 90% reported that many acted mainly out of personal gain. When convicting Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his sentence should commence promptly, the presiding magistrate, Nathalie Gavarino, declared that she considered both the profoundly severe aspect of the offences and the fact that they were "potentially erode the people's faith."
Those thoughts might be deemed typical, particularly since that Mr Sarkozy has previously been convicted in distinct bribery proceedings. Yet the former president's case and its aftermath have alarmingly revealed the scope to which within the nation, as in different nations, the legal system is endangered by a increasingly common disdain for courts and the effort to control of public opinion.
Using divisive tactics, an thorough and detailed court case has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a judicial plot and ideological revenge. Following the ruling in September, the former president effectively denounced his sentence as illegal and decried the "hostility" with "no limits" that reportedly inspired it. Since senior politicians and supporters from the traditional and radical have filled the airwaves and conservative press with the same talking points, the judge has been subjected to multiple threats.
Encouragingly, the public largely rejects this narrative. A post-verdict poll found clear majorities backing both the handling of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his punishment. However the spectacle, and the naked attempt to weaken the standing of the legal system, was very likely merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, Marine Le Pen's court petition against a conviction for diversion of electoral finances will be heard. Should she lose it, the political candidate will be excluded from participating in the 2027 presidential race.
In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a risky period for the national legal system to navigate. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed prior to his appeal hearing, following a request by his attorneys. However the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the judicial framework throughout his trial have set a damaging precedent.
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