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As he made his way at the Parisian detention facility on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy posted a message overflowing with opposition on X, asserting, "This isn't a former president of the nation entering prison today, but rather an innocent man." A court of appeal is set to decide regarding the truthfulness of that statement. However, regrettably for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and impact of his downfall cannot simply be wished away.

The Conviction

President of France from 2007 to 2012, the former president was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to secure illicit campaign funds from the regime of the former Libyan ruler, Colonel Gaddafi. Handed a five-year prison term, he has become the initial ex-head of an EU country to go behind bars, and the earliest French head of state since the dishonored head of the Vichy regime, Philippe Pétain. In a country where the chosen leader possesses a near-royal standing, Tuesday's remarkable event was a historic occasion.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

At a time when faith in political institutions in France has collapsed to the point where alarms are sounding, it was also a instructive example that the law applies to all. In a poll issued this week, two-thirds of respondents said that they felt a majority of politicians were unethical, and nearly nine out of 10 claimed that most behaved predominantly out of individual benefit. When convicting the former president and directing that his sentence should start immediately, the judge, Nathalie Gavarino, said that she considered 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 deemed typical, especially given that the ex-president has before been sentenced in other graft trials. But the Sarkozy trial and its aftermath have disturbingly laid bare the degree to which in France, as in different nations, the legal system is endangered by a recently popular disrespect toward legal institutions and the effort to control of public opinion.

In Trumpian fashion, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a judicial plot and ideological revenge. After the verdict in September, the former president effectively denounced his judgment as unlawful and condemned the "hostility" with "no limits" that reportedly inspired it. As high-ranking leaders and supporters from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and right-leaning media with the same talking points, Ms Gavarino has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Citizen Reaction

Reassuringly, the population largely rejects this narrative. A post-verdict poll found significant majorities endorsing both the proceedings of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his punishment. However the spectacle, and the naked attempt to weaken the standing of the legal system, was in all likelihood only a preliminary test. During winter, the far-right leader's appeal against a conviction for diversion of electoral finances will take place. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be excluded from running in the 2027 presidential race.

Long-term Effects

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a risky period for the French judiciary to handle. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed before his own appeal, after an application by his legal team. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the court system before, during and after his trial have set a damaging precedent.