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While he arrived at La Santé prison this week, the former French leader published a message overflowing with resistance on X, writing, "This isn't a former president of the republic entering prison this morning, it's an innocent man." The appeals judiciary is set to rule on the accuracy of this assertion. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and importance of his fall cannot be dismissed.

The Guilty Verdict

President of France between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to obtain illegal financing from the government of the late Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi. Handed a five-year sentence, he has emerged as the initial ex-head of an EU member state to be imprisoned, and the initial French president since the disgraced head of Vichy France, Marshal Pétain. Across France where the elected president enjoys a near-royal standing, Tuesday's remarkable event was a defining instance.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

During a period when trust in government bodies in France has plummeted to the point where alarms are sounding, it was also a salutary demonstration that no one is above the law. In a poll released this week, over 65% of those surveyed indicated that they thought a large number of politicians were dishonest, and the vast majority said that most behaved predominantly out of self-interest. While judging the former president and ordering that his sentence should commence promptly, the court official, the judge, declared that she considered both the extremely serious character of the offences and the fact that they were "potentially erode the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be seen as ordinary, notably because that Mr Sarkozy has before been found guilty in separate corruption cases. Yet the legal proceedings and its aftermath have disturbingly laid bare the extent to which across the country, as in various states, the rule of law is endangered by a recently popular disrespect toward legal institutions and the effort to control of public opinion.

Using divisive tactics, an comprehensive and precise court case has been groundlessly presented by his backers as a courtroom scheme and political retaliation. After the verdict recently, the former president effectively denounced his sentence as invalid and condemned the "hatred" with "no boundaries" that reportedly inspired it. Since high-ranking leaders and advocates from the conservative and extremist have saturated public discourse and right-leaning media with the identical arguments, the judicial figure has obtained various menaces.

Public Response

Reassuringly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. A survey after the ruling found clear majorities backing both the proceedings of the legal case and his conviction. But the drama, and the naked attempt to damage the credibility of the legal system, was most probably only a preliminary test. Next year, the National Rally figure's appeal against a guilty verdict for embezzlement of political funds will take place. Should she lose it, the political candidate will be excluded from running in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to manage. The former president might eventually exit ahead of his next legal challenge, after an application by his attorneys. But the reckless and unfounded criticisms on the judicial framework before, during and after his trial have established a harmful example.