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While he arrived at La Santé prison on Tuesday, the former French leader posted a declaration overflowing with resistance via social media, writing, "This isn't a ex-leader of the republic entering prison today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." The appeals judiciary will in time decide regarding the accuracy of this assertion. Yet sadly for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and importance of his decline cannot simply be wished away.

The Legal Judgment

The French head of state from 2007 to 2012, the former president was found guilty of unlawful plotting to secure prohibited donations from the regime of the late Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi. Handed a half-decade incarceration, he has been recorded as the initial ex-head of an European Union nation to be imprisoned, and the earliest French head of state since the shamed head of wartime France, Marshal Pétain. Within a nation where the elected president enjoys a almost king-like position, the recent remarkable event was a defining instance.

Citizen Confidence and Legal Accountability

During a period when faith in political institutions in France has collapsed to the point where the lights are flashing red, it was also a instructive example that everyone is subject to the law. According to a survey issued on Tuesday, a majority of participants stated that they thought a majority of elected officials were corrupt, and nearly nine out of 10 said that many operated primarily out of self-interest. While judging the former president and directing that his incarceration should commence promptly, the presiding magistrate, the judge, noted that she took into account both the exceptionally grave nature of the violations and the fact that they were "could damage the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, notably because that Mr Sarkozy has before been sentenced in other graft trials. But the Sarkozy trial and its consequences have alarmingly revealed the scope to which within the nation, as in various states, the rule of law is jeopardized by a newly fashionable disrespect toward legal institutions and the attempted manipulation of public opinion.

In Trumpian fashion, an comprehensive and precise judicial procedure has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a legal conspiracy and ideological revenge. After the verdict in September, the ex-leader publicly criticized his judgment as invalid and censured the "hatred" with "no limits" that allegedly motivated it. Since senior politicians and advocates from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and conservative press with the same talking points, the judicial figure has been subjected to various menaces.

Public Response

Hearteningly, the population seems unconvinced. A survey after the ruling found comfortable majorities backing both the conduct of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his sentencing. Yet the turmoil, and the naked attempt to undermine the reputation of the legal system, was in all likelihood just a trial run. During winter, Marine Le Pen's appeal against a guilty verdict for misuse of campaign money will be heard. Should she lose it, the far-right National Rally leader will be disqualified from participating in the upcoming election.

Coming Consequences

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a perilous moment for the country's courts to handle. The former president could still be freed before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his legal team. However the reckless and unfounded criticisms on the court system before, during and after his proceedings have created a negative standard.