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As he was transported at La Santé prison this week, Nicolas Sarkozy shared a statement overflowing with defiance via social media, writing, "It's not a ex-leader of the republic facing incarceration this morning, it's an innocent man." A court of appeal will eventually decide regarding the truthfulness of this assertion. However, regrettably for Mr Sarkozy, the drama and importance of his downfall cannot be ignored.

The Guilty Verdict

France's leader from 2007 to 2012, Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of illegal collaboration to acquire illicit campaign funds from the government of the former Libyan ruler, the Libyan strongman. Handed a five-year prison term, he has been recorded as the pioneering past president of an EU country to go behind bars, and the initial French president since the disgraced head of the Vichy regime, Marshal Pétain. Within a nation where the chosen leader holds a almost king-like position, this week's extraordinary spectacle was a seminal moment.

Citizen Confidence and Legal Accountability

At a time when confidence in political systems in France has collapsed to the extent where the lights are flashing red, it was also a sobering reminder that the law applies to all. As per a study issued on Tuesday, a majority of participants said that they felt a majority of elected officials were dishonest, and the vast majority reported that the majority acted mainly out of personal gain. In sentencing the former president and mandating that his prison term should start immediately, the court official, the judge, declared that she considered both the profoundly severe aspect of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine public confidence."

Courtroom Struggles

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, notably because that Mr Sarkozy has previously been convicted in other graft trials. Yet the Sarkozy trial and its fallout have alarmingly revealed the degree to which within the nation, as in different nations, the rule of law is jeopardized by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the try to influence of the popular view.

In Trumpian fashion, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been baselessly portrayed by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a judicial plot and ideological revenge. After the verdict in September, the ex-leader openly condemned his punishment as invalid and decried the "hostility" with "no restraints" that supposedly drove it. Since senior politicians and advocates from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and right-leaning media with the similar rhetoric, Ms Gavarino has obtained numerous death threats.

Public Response

Reassuringly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. A survey after the ruling found significant majorities supporting both the proceedings of the courtroom process and his punishment. But the turmoil, and the naked attempt to damage the credibility of the judicial system, was very likely only a preliminary test. During winter, Marine Le Pen's appeal against a conviction for diversion of electoral finances will occur. If the appeal fails, the conservative figure will be ruled out from participating in the future campaign.

Long-term Effects

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a risky period for the French judiciary to manage. The former president could still be freed before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his lawyers. However the unfounded and damaging assaults on the judicial framework throughout his trial have created a negative standard.