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While he arrived at the Parisian detention facility this week, Nicolas Sarkozy published a message overflowing with opposition on X, asserting, "It's not a former president of the nation entering prison today, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." An appellate court is set to rule on the truthfulness of his claim. Yet sadly for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and importance of his fall cannot be dismissed.

The Legal Judgment

President of France between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of illegal collaboration to obtain prohibited donations from the regime of the late Libyan dictator, the Libyan strongman. Given a five-year prison term, he has become the first former leader of an European Union nation to enter prison, and the earliest French head of state since the disgraced head of wartime France, the Vichy leader. Across France where the chosen leader enjoys a almost king-like position, Tuesday's extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance.

Citizen Confidence and Legal Accountability

In an era when trust in government bodies in France has plummeted to the degree where alarms are sounding, it was also a sobering reminder that no one is above the law. As per a study released recently, two-thirds of respondents stated that they believed a large number of elected officials were unethical, and almost 90% reported that many operated primarily out of individual benefit. When convicting Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his sentence should commence promptly, the presiding magistrate, the judicial authority, declared that she took into account both the exceptionally grave nature of the crimes and the fact that they were "potentially erode the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Such reflections might be considered unexceptional, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has in the past been found guilty in other graft trials. Yet the Sarkozy trial and its consequences have disturbingly laid bare the scope to which in France, as in other countries, the judicial framework is threatened by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the effort to control of public opinion.

In Trumpian fashion, an exhaustive and meticulous judicial procedure has been falsely depicted by his backers as a legal conspiracy and ideological revenge. After the verdict in September, the former president effectively denounced his sentence as invalid and decried the "hatred" with "no restraints" that reportedly inspired it. Since senior politicians and supporters from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and traditional outlets with the identical arguments, the judge has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Public Response

Reassuringly, the public seems unconvinced. A post-verdict poll found clear majorities backing both the conduct of the courtroom process and his conviction. But the spectacle, and the naked attempt to undermine the reputation of the court system, was most probably just a trial run. Next year, Marine Le Pen's court petition against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will occur. Should she lose it, the political candidate will be ruled out from participating in the upcoming election.

Coming Consequences

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a dangerous time for the national legal system to navigate. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed before his own appeal, after an application by his attorneys. But the reckless and unfounded criticisms on the legal system at all stages of his proceedings have established a harmful example.