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While he arrived at La Santé prison on Tuesday, the former French leader posted a message filled with defiance via social media, asserting, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation entering prison today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." The appeals judiciary will eventually decide regarding the accuracy of his claim. However, regrettably for the ex-president, the drama and impact of his downfall cannot be dismissed.

The Guilty Verdict

President of France between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of illegal collaboration to secure illicit campaign funds from the government of the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Handed a five-year prison term, he has been recorded as the initial ex-head of an EU country to be imprisoned, and the first French leader since the dishonored head of the Vichy regime, the Vichy leader. Across France where the democratically selected head of state enjoys a near-royal standing, Tuesday's unprecedented scene was a defining instance.

Public Trust and Legal Consequences

In an era when trust in government bodies in France has declined drastically to the degree where warning signs are evident, it was also a sobering reminder that no one is above the law. In a poll released this week, a majority of participants indicated that they believed a most of politicians were unethical, and the vast majority claimed that the majority acted mainly out of individual benefit. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his sentence should begin without delay, the presiding magistrate, Nathalie Gavarino, said that she considered both the exceptionally grave nature of the crimes and the fact that they were "could damage citizens' trust."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has previously been sentenced in separate corruption cases. But the former president's case and its consequences have alarmingly revealed the scope to which within the nation, as in different nations, the judicial framework is jeopardized by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the attempted manipulation of public opinion.

Using divisive tactics, an thorough and detailed judicial procedure has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a legal conspiracy and political retaliation. After the verdict last month, the ex-leader effectively denounced his sentence as invalid and censured the "hostility" with "no restraints" that allegedly motivated it. As high-ranking leaders and supporters from the traditional and radical have dominated media discussions and right-leaning media with the identical arguments, the judge has obtained numerous death threats.

Societal Feedback

Reassuringly, the population largely rejects this narrative. A survey after the ruling found clear majorities supporting both the handling of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his sentencing. But the drama, and the obvious try to damage the credibility of the legal system, was in all likelihood merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, the far-right leader's legal challenge against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will take place. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be excluded from competing in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a dangerous time for the national legal system to manage. The former president might eventually exit prior to his appeal hearing, subsequent to a petition by his legal team. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the court system throughout his case have established a harmful example.