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As he made his way at La Santé prison on Tuesday, the former French leader shared a message overflowing with resistance via social media, writing, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation entering prison this morning, but rather an innocent man." A court of appeal will eventually rule on the veracity of his claim. Yet sadly for Mr Sarkozy, the spectacle and impact of his decline cannot be dismissed.

The Guilty Verdict

The French head of state from 2007 to 2012, the former president was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to secure illicit campaign funds from the regime of the deceased Libyan leader, Colonel Gaddafi. Sentenced to a five-year prison term, he has become the initial ex-head of an EU member state to go behind bars, and the earliest French head of state since the disgraced head of Vichy France, Marshal Pétain. In a country where the elected president holds a near-royal standing, this week's remarkable event was a seminal moment.

Public Trust and Legal Consequences

In an era when confidence in political systems in France has declined drastically to the point where alarms are sounding, it was also a instructive example that everyone is subject to the law. In a poll released recently, over 65% of those surveyed stated that they thought a majority of elected officials were dishonest, and the vast majority said that the majority operated primarily out of personal gain. While judging the former president and directing that his prison term should begin without delay, the court official, the judicial authority, noted that she took into account both the extremely serious character of the offences and the fact that they were "potentially erode citizens' trust."

Judicial Threats

Such reflections might be deemed typical, particularly since that Mr Sarkozy has previously been sentenced in distinct bribery proceedings. But the legal proceedings and its consequences have disturbingly laid bare the degree to which within the nation, as in different nations, the legal system is endangered by a recently popular disdain for courts and the try to influence of the popular view.

Following a populist playbook, an comprehensive and precise court case has been baselessly portrayed by the former president's allies as a legal conspiracy and ideological revenge. Subsequent to the decision recently, the former president effectively denounced his sentence as illegal and decried the "hatred" with "no boundaries" that allegedly motivated it. While senior politicians and advocates from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and conservative press with the same talking points, Ms Gavarino has obtained various menaces.

Citizen Reaction

Reassuringly, the public largely rejects this narrative. A survey after the ruling found significant majorities endorsing both the proceedings of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his conviction. Yet the turmoil, and the naked attempt to undermine the reputation of the court system, was in all likelihood merely a dress rehearsal. During winter, Marine Le Pen's court petition against a judgment for misuse of campaign money will occur. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be excluded from running in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a dangerous time for the French judiciary to navigate. The former president may yet be released before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his legal team. Yet the reckless and unfounded criticisms on the court system before, during and after his proceedings have established a harmful example.