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As he made his way at La Santé prison this week, Nicolas Sarkozy posted a statement overflowing with resistance via social media, asserting, "This isn't a former president of the republic entering prison this morning, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." An appellate court will in time decide regarding the truthfulness of this assertion. Yet sadly for Mr Sarkozy, the spectacle and impact of his decline cannot be dismissed.

The Legal Judgment

The French head of state between 2007 and 2012, the former president was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to acquire illegal financing from the government of the deceased Libyan leader, the Libyan strongman. Sentenced to a five-year sentence, he has become the pioneering past president of an EU member state to enter prison, and the earliest French head of state since the disgraced head of wartime France, the Vichy leader. Within a nation where the chosen leader possesses a quasi-monarchical status, the recent remarkable event was a defining instance.

Citizen Confidence and Judicial Responsibility

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 everyone is subject to the law. According to a survey published on Tuesday, a majority of participants stated that they felt a most of government figures were unethical, and almost 90% reported that many operated primarily out of personal gain. In sentencing the former president and mandating that his prison term should begin without delay, the court official, Nathalie Gavarino, said that she factored in both the profoundly severe aspect of the crimes and the fact that they were "could damage the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Such reflections might be considered unexceptional, notably because that Mr Sarkozy has before been found guilty in other graft trials. But the Sarkozy trial and its consequences have disturbingly laid bare the extent to which in France, as in various states, the judicial framework is threatened by a recently popular disdain for courts and the attempted manipulation of the popular view.

Using divisive tactics, an comprehensive and precise judicial procedure has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a courtroom scheme and political retaliation. Subsequent to the decision in September, the ex-leader openly condemned his judgment as invalid and decried the "hatred" with "no limits" that reportedly inspired it. Since senior politicians and backers from the right and far right have filled the airwaves and right-leaning media with the identical arguments, the judge has received various menaces.

Public Response

Reassuringly, the citizens does not appear to be buying it. Research following the judgment found clear majorities supporting both the conduct of the legal case and his sentencing. Yet the drama, and the blatant effort to weaken the standing of the judicial system, was most probably merely a dress rehearsal. During winter, Marine Le Pen's appeal against a judgment for embezzlement of political funds will be heard. If the appeal fails, the conservative figure will be excluded from participating in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a dangerous time for the national legal system to manage. The former president could still be freed ahead of his next legal challenge, following a request by his lawyers. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the legal system before, during and after his proceedings have created a negative standard.