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As he made his way at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader posted a statement overflowing with resistance via social media, stating, "This isn't a former president of the nation facing incarceration today, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal is set to rule on the veracity of this assertion. However, regrettably for the ex-president, the spectacle and significance of his fall cannot simply be wished away.

The Guilty Verdict

President of France between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to obtain illegal financing from the regime of the deceased Libyan leader, the Libyan strongman. Handed a half-decade incarceration, he has emerged as the initial ex-head of an EU member state to be imprisoned, and the earliest French head of state since the dishonored head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. Across France where the chosen leader possesses a almost king-like position, Tuesday's extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance.

National Faith and Legal Consequences

During a period when confidence in political systems in France has plummeted to the degree where warning signs are evident, it was also a salutary demonstration that the law applies to all. According to a survey issued this week, two-thirds of respondents stated that they felt a majority of elected officials were dishonest, and the vast majority reported that the majority operated primarily out of self-interest. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his prison term should start immediately, the presiding magistrate, the judicial authority, declared that she considered both the extremely serious character of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine public confidence."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be deemed typical, notably because that the ex-president has before been found guilty in separate corruption cases. However the Sarkozy trial and its consequences have disturbingly laid bare the extent to which in France, as in other countries, the judicial framework is threatened by a increasingly common disdain for courts and the effort to control of societal perspectives.

Following a populist playbook, an thorough and detailed judicial procedure has been baselessly portrayed by the former president's allies as a courtroom scheme and ideological revenge. Following the ruling last month, the ex-leader publicly criticized his judgment as unlawful and decried the "hostility" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. Since prominent officials and advocates from the traditional and radical have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the same talking points, the judge has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Public Response

Hearteningly, the citizens seems unconvinced. A post-verdict poll found significant majorities supporting both the conduct of the courtroom process and his punishment. But the spectacle, and the obvious try to undermine the reputation of the legal system, was very likely merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, the far-right leader's appeal against a guilty verdict for misuse of campaign money will take place. If the appeal fails, the far-right National Rally leader will be disqualified from running in the future campaign.

Future Implications

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a dangerous time for the French judiciary to handle. The former president might eventually exit prior to his appeal hearing, after an application by his legal team. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the court system throughout his proceedings have set a damaging precedent.