🔗 Share this article Sarkozy's Initial 24 Hours Behind Bars: No Individual Is Above the Law While he arrived at La Santé prison this week, Nicolas Sarkozy shared a declaration brimming with opposition via social media, asserting, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation facing incarceration today, but rather an innocent man." A court of appeal is set to give its view the truthfulness of his claim. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the spectacle and significance of his downfall cannot simply be wished away. The Conviction President of France during the 2007-2012 term, the former president was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to acquire prohibited donations from the government of the former Libyan ruler, the Libyan strongman. Given a five-year sentence, he has emerged as the initial ex-head of an European Union nation to go behind bars, and the first French leader since the disgraced head of the Vichy regime, Marshal Pétain. Across France where the chosen leader enjoys a near-royal standing, Tuesday's extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance. Citizen Confidence and Legal Consequences At a time when confidence in political systems in France has declined drastically to the extent where the lights are flashing red, it was also a sobering reminder that no one is above the law. According to a survey published this week, over 65% of those surveyed stated that they felt a large number of elected officials were dishonest, and nearly nine out of 10 said that the majority operated primarily out of individual benefit. While judging the former president and directing that his incarceration should commence promptly, the judge, the judge, declared that she considered both the profoundly severe aspect of the violations and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith." Judicial Threats Such reflections might be seen as ordinary, notably because that the ex-president has in the past been found guilty in distinct bribery proceedings. Yet the former president's case and its consequences have alarmingly revealed the scope to which within the nation, as in various states, the legal system is endangered by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the attempted manipulation of public opinion. Following a populist playbook, an exhaustive and meticulous court case has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a courtroom scheme and political retaliation. After the verdict last month, the ex-leader publicly criticized his judgment as unlawful and decried the "animosity" with "no restraints" that allegedly motivated it. While high-ranking leaders and supporters from the right and far right have filled the airwaves and traditional outlets with the same talking points, Ms Gavarino has obtained numerous death threats. Public Response Encouragingly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. A post-verdict poll found significant majorities supporting both the proceedings of the legal case and his sentencing. But the spectacle, and the obvious try to damage the credibility of the judicial system, was in all likelihood merely a dress rehearsal. During winter, the far-right leader's appeal against a guilty verdict for embezzlement of political funds will be heard. If unsuccessful, the political candidate will be excluded from competing in the future campaign. Future Implications Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a risky period for the country's courts to manage. The former president might eventually exit before his own appeal, after an application by his attorneys. Yet the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the judicial framework at all stages of his case have set a damaging precedent.