Sarkozy's Initial 24 Hours Behind Bars: No Citizen Stands Above Legal Justice

As he made his way at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader posted a statement brimming with defiance via social media, writing, "This isn't a ex-leader of the nation facing incarceration today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal will eventually give its view the veracity of his claim. However, regrettably for Mr Sarkozy, the spectacle and significance of his downfall cannot be dismissed.

The Conviction

France's leader between 2007 and 2012, the former president was convicted of unlawful plotting to acquire prohibited donations from the regime of the former Libyan ruler, the Libyan strongman. Given a five-year sentence, he has become the first former leader of an EU country to enter prison, and the first French leader since the disgraced head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. Within a nation where the democratically selected head of state holds a almost king-like position, the recent extraordinary spectacle was a seminal moment.

Public Trust and Legal Accountability

During a period when faith in political institutions in France has collapsed to the degree where the lights are flashing red, it was also a sobering reminder that the law applies to all. As per a study published on Tuesday, over 65% of those surveyed stated that they thought a most of government figures were corrupt, and the vast majority said that many acted mainly out of individual benefit. When convicting the former president and ordering that his prison term should start immediately, the presiding magistrate, Nathalie Gavarino, said that she took into account both the exceptionally grave nature of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine public confidence."

Legal Challenges

These considerations might be seen as ordinary, especially given that the ex-president has in the past been sentenced in other graft trials. Yet the legal proceedings and its aftermath have alarmingly revealed the degree to which in France, as in other countries, the judicial framework is endangered by a newly fashionable disrespect toward legal institutions and the attempted manipulation of societal perspectives.

Following a populist playbook, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been baselessly portrayed by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a judicial plot and ideological revenge. Following the ruling in September, the former president openly condemned his punishment as illegal and condemned the "hostility" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. As senior politicians and advocates from the traditional and radical have dominated media discussions and right-leaning media with the similar rhetoric, the judge has been subjected to multiple threats.

Citizen Reaction

Encouragingly, the public seems unconvinced. A survey after the ruling found significant majorities endorsing both the handling of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his conviction. However the drama, and the blatant effort to undermine the reputation of the legal system, was most probably merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, the far-right leader's court petition against a conviction for misuse of campaign money will be heard. If the appeal fails, the far-right National Rally leader will be disqualified from running in the upcoming election.

Coming Consequences

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a risky period for the national legal system to manage. Mr Sarkozy might eventually exit before his own appeal, after an application by his lawyers. But the reckless and unfounded criticisms on the judicial framework at all stages of his trial have established a harmful example.