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While he arrived at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader published a message filled with resistance via social media, asserting, "It's not a former president of the nation entering prison this morning, but rather an innocent man." The appeals judiciary will in time rule on the truthfulness of this assertion. However, regrettably for Mr Sarkozy, the drama and importance of his fall cannot simply be wished away.

The Legal Judgment

France's leader between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of illegal collaboration to obtain illicit campaign funds from the administration of the deceased Libyan leader, Colonel Gaddafi. Given a five-year prison term, he has become the initial ex-head of an EU country to be imprisoned, and the first French leader since the dishonored head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. Across France where the democratically selected head of state enjoys a near-royal standing, the recent extraordinary spectacle was a seminal moment.

Citizen Confidence and Judicial Responsibility

In an era when faith in political institutions in France has declined drastically to the extent where warning signs are evident, it was also a salutary demonstration that everyone is subject to the law. In a poll issued recently, two-thirds of respondents said that they felt a majority of elected officials were corrupt, and nearly nine out of 10 reported that many operated primarily out of personal gain. When convicting Mr Sarkozy and directing that his incarceration should begin without delay, the court official, Nathalie Gavarino, declared that she considered both the extremely serious character of the violations and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Legal Challenges

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, especially given that the ex-president has previously been found guilty in separate corruption cases. But the former president's case and its consequences have disturbingly laid bare the degree to which within the nation, as in various states, the legal system is endangered by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the effort to control of public opinion.

Using divisive tactics, an thorough and detailed legal process has been groundlessly presented by his backers as a legal conspiracy and ideological revenge. Following the ruling recently, the ex-leader publicly criticized his sentence as illegal and condemned the "animosity" with "no restraints" that allegedly motivated it. While high-ranking leaders and supporters from the conservative and extremist have dominated media discussions and right-leaning media with the similar rhetoric, the judge has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Citizen Reaction

Reassuringly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. A post-verdict poll found clear majorities supporting both the conduct of the courtroom process and his sentencing. However the turmoil, and the blatant effort to damage the credibility of the judicial system, was very likely merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, Marine Le Pen's court petition against a guilty verdict for embezzlement of political funds will occur. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be disqualified from competing in the 2027 presidential race.

Coming Consequences

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a dangerous time for the French judiciary to handle. Mr Sarkozy may yet be released ahead of his next legal challenge, subsequent to a petition by his legal team. But the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the judicial framework before, during and after his case have set a damaging precedent.