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As he was transported at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader published a statement filled with defiance via social media, writing, "It's not a former president of the republic who is being jailed this morning, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." An appellate court will eventually decide regarding the veracity of his claim. However, regrettably for the ex-president, the spectacle and significance of his fall cannot simply be wished away.

The Legal Judgment

President of France from 2007 to 2012, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to obtain illegal financing from the regime of the deceased Libyan leader, Colonel Gaddafi. Handed a five-year sentence, he has emerged as the pioneering past president of an EU member state to go behind bars, and the first French leader since the disgraced head of wartime France, the Vichy leader. Within a nation where the elected president possesses a near-royal standing, Tuesday's unprecedented scene was a seminal moment.

National Faith and Judicial Responsibility

During a period when faith in political institutions in France has plummeted to the extent where the lights are flashing red, it was also a instructive example that no one is above the law. In a poll released recently, a majority of participants stated that they felt a large number of government figures were corrupt, and nearly nine out of 10 claimed that most behaved predominantly out of individual benefit. While judging the former president and ordering that his incarceration should begin without delay, the court official, Nathalie Gavarino, declared that she considered both the profoundly severe aspect of the crimes and the fact that they were "potentially erode citizens' trust."

Courtroom Struggles

These considerations might be seen as ordinary, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has previously been found guilty in separate corruption cases. Yet the former president's case and its aftermath have disturbingly laid bare the extent to which in France, as in other countries, the judicial framework is endangered by a newly fashionable disdain for courts and the try to influence of public opinion.

In Trumpian fashion, an thorough and detailed legal process has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a judicial plot and ideological revenge. After the verdict last month, the former president openly condemned his punishment as unlawful and censured the "animosity" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. While prominent officials and advocates from the conservative and extremist have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the identical arguments, the judge has obtained various menaces.

Citizen Reaction

Encouragingly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. A post-verdict poll found comfortable majorities endorsing both the proceedings of the legal case and his sentencing. However the drama, and the obvious try to undermine the reputation of the legal system, was most probably merely a dress rehearsal. During winter, the National Rally figure's legal challenge against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will be heard. If unsuccessful, the far-right National Rally leader will be ruled out from running in the future campaign.

Long-term Effects

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a perilous moment for the national legal system to manage. Mr Sarkozy may yet be released before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his lawyers. Yet the unfounded and damaging assaults on the judicial framework throughout his proceedings have created a negative standard.