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While he made his way at the Parisian detention facility on Tuesday, the former French leader shared a statement overflowing with opposition via social media, stating, "It's not a former president of the republic facing incarceration this morning, it's an innocent man." A court of appeal will in time decide regarding the truthfulness of this assertion. However, regrettably for the ex-president, the spectacle and significance of his fall cannot be dismissed.

The Legal Judgment

France's leader between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of illegal collaboration to obtain illegal financing from the regime of the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Sentenced to a five-year prison term, he has become the initial ex-head of an EU country to enter prison, and the earliest French head of state since the disgraced head of the Vichy regime, Philippe Pétain. In a country where the chosen leader possesses a near-royal standing, this week's extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance.

Public Trust and Legal Consequences

At a time when trust in government bodies in France has declined drastically to the extent where warning signs are evident, it was also a sobering reminder that no one is above the law. In a poll released on Tuesday, a majority of participants said that they felt a large number of politicians were corrupt, and almost 90% said that many operated primarily out of personal gain. While judging the former president and mandating that his incarceration should begin without delay, the judge, the judicial authority, noted that she took into account both the extremely serious character of the violations and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Such reflections might be seen as ordinary, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has previously been sentenced in other graft trials. However the legal proceedings and its aftermath have troublingly exposed the extent to which in France, as in other countries, the rule of law is jeopardized by a recently popular disdain for courts and the attempted manipulation of the popular view.

In Trumpian fashion, an comprehensive and precise court case has been baselessly portrayed by the former president's allies as a courtroom scheme and leftwing vendetta. Subsequent to the decision in September, the former president effectively denounced his punishment as invalid and censured the "hatred" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. As high-ranking leaders and backers from the traditional and radical have filled the airwaves and conservative press with the similar rhetoric, Ms Gavarino has been subjected to various menaces.

Citizen Reaction

Encouragingly, the public does not appear to be buying it. A post-verdict poll found significant majorities supporting both the handling of the courtroom process and his conviction. Yet the turmoil, and the obvious try to undermine the reputation of the court system, was most probably only a preliminary test. During winter, the National Rally figure's legal challenge against a judgment for misuse of campaign money will be heard. If unsuccessful, the political candidate will be excluded from participating in the upcoming election.

Long-term Effects

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the country's courts to navigate. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his lawyers. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the judicial framework before, during and after his trial have established a harmful example.