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As he arrived at La Santé prison on Tuesday, the former French leader posted a message brimming with resistance via social media, stating, "This isn't a ex-leader of the nation facing incarceration this morning, but rather an innocent man." The appeals judiciary will in time rule on the veracity of that statement. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the spectacle and significance of his fall cannot be dismissed.

The Guilty Verdict

France's leader during the 2007-2012 term, the former president was convicted of unlawful plotting to secure illicit campaign funds from the regime of the late Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi. Sentenced to a half-decade incarceration, he has become the initial ex-head of an EU country to enter prison, and the initial French president since the disgraced head of wartime France, the Vichy leader. Within a nation where the chosen leader holds a quasi-monarchical status, Tuesday's unprecedented scene was a historic occasion.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

During a period when faith in political institutions in France has plummeted to the extent where warning signs are evident, it was also a sobering reminder that no one is above the law. According to a survey released on Tuesday, over 65% of those surveyed indicated that they felt a most of elected officials were unethical, and nearly nine out of 10 said that the majority behaved predominantly out of personal gain. While judging the former president and directing that his sentence should start immediately, the court official, the judge, declared that she factored in both the extremely serious character of the violations and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Courtroom Struggles

These considerations might be seen as ordinary, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has before been convicted in other graft trials. However the Sarkozy trial and its aftermath have alarmingly revealed the degree to which within the nation, as in other countries, the rule of law is jeopardized by a increasingly common contempt for the judiciary and the attempted manipulation of societal perspectives.

Following a populist playbook, an thorough and detailed judicial procedure has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a courtroom scheme and leftwing vendetta. Following the ruling recently, the ex-leader publicly criticized his judgment as invalid and decried the "animosity" with "no limits" that supposedly drove it. Since prominent officials and advocates from the right and far right have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the identical arguments, the judge has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Societal Feedback

Reassuringly, the public largely rejects this narrative. Research following the judgment found clear majorities backing both the proceedings of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his sentencing. However the spectacle, and the blatant effort to weaken the standing of the judicial system, was very likely merely a dress rehearsal. In January, Marine Le Pen's appeal against a conviction for misuse of campaign money will be heard. If unsuccessful, the conservative figure will be ruled out from running in the upcoming election.

Long-term Effects

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a risky period for the national legal system to manage. The former president might eventually exit before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his attorneys. However the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the judicial framework throughout his case have created a negative standard.