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While he made his way at La Santé prison on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy published a declaration overflowing with opposition via social media, stating, "It's not a ex-leader of the republic facing incarceration today, it's an innocent man." The appeals judiciary will in time rule on the veracity of that statement. Yet sadly for Mr Sarkozy, the drama and importance of his fall cannot be dismissed.

The Guilty Verdict

The French head of state between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to secure illegal financing from the government of the late Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. Sentenced to a half-decade incarceration, he has emerged as the first former leader of an EU country to go behind bars, and the earliest French head of state since the shamed head of Vichy France, Marshal Pétain. Across France where the democratically selected head of state possesses a quasi-monarchical status, this week's remarkable event was a historic occasion.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

At a time when trust in government bodies in France has collapsed to the degree where the lights are flashing red, it was also a salutary demonstration that the law applies to all. As per a study issued recently, two-thirds of respondents indicated that they thought a majority of government figures were corrupt, and nearly nine out of 10 said that most behaved predominantly out of personal gain. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his sentence should begin without delay, the presiding magistrate, the judge, noted that she took into account both the profoundly severe aspect of the crimes and the fact that they were "could damage the people's faith."

Courtroom Struggles

These considerations might be deemed typical, notably because that the ex-president has in the past been sentenced in separate corruption cases. Yet the former president's case and its aftermath have disturbingly laid bare the degree to which across the country, as in different nations, the judicial framework is threatened by a recently popular disrespect toward legal institutions and the attempted manipulation of public opinion.

In Trumpian fashion, an comprehensive and precise court case has been baselessly portrayed by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a courtroom scheme and political retaliation. Subsequent to the decision last month, the ex-leader openly condemned his sentence as unlawful and censured the "hostility" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. While high-ranking leaders and supporters from the traditional and radical have filled the airwaves and conservative press with the identical arguments, the judge has received various menaces.

Societal Feedback

Reassuringly, the population largely rejects this narrative. A survey after the ruling found significant majorities backing both the proceedings of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his conviction. Yet the drama, and the blatant effort to weaken the standing of the court system, was very likely only a preliminary test. During winter, the National Rally figure's appeal against a conviction for misuse of campaign money will take place. If unsuccessful, the political candidate will be excluded from competing in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to handle. Mr Sarkozy might eventually exit before his own appeal, following a request by his lawyers. Yet the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the court system throughout his proceedings have established a harmful example.