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As he was transported at La Santé prison on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy published a message overflowing with opposition via social media, stating, "This isn't a former president of the republic entering prison today, but rather an innocent man." An appellate court is set to decide regarding the veracity of this assertion. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the drama and impact of his downfall cannot be ignored.

The Legal Judgment

President of France during the 2007-2012 term, the former president was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to secure prohibited donations from the administration of the former Libyan ruler, the Libyan strongman. Given a half-decade incarceration, he has emerged as the pioneering past president of an EU country to go behind bars, and the earliest French head of state since the shamed head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. Across France where the chosen leader possesses a near-royal standing, the recent unprecedented scene was a historic occasion.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

At a time when confidence in political systems in France has collapsed to the point where alarms are sounding, it was also a instructive example that the law applies to all. As per a study released this week, over 65% of those surveyed said that they felt a most of politicians were corrupt, and the vast majority said that many acted mainly out of personal gain. In sentencing the former president and directing that his prison term should commence promptly, the presiding magistrate, the judicial authority, noted that she considered both the exceptionally grave nature of the violations and the fact that they were "likely to undermine citizens' trust."

Judicial Threats

Such reflections might be deemed typical, especially given that the ex-president has in the past been convicted in distinct bribery proceedings. However the legal proceedings and its aftermath have alarmingly revealed the extent to which across the country, as in various states, the legal system is threatened by a recently popular disrespect toward legal institutions and the attempted manipulation of societal perspectives.

Following a populist playbook, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been baselessly portrayed by the former president's allies as a judicial plot and political retaliation. Subsequent to the decision in September, the former president publicly criticized his judgment as unlawful and decried the "animosity" with "no limits" that reportedly inspired it. Since prominent officials and backers from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and right-leaning media with the similar rhetoric, the judicial figure has received numerous death threats.

Public Response

Hearteningly, the population largely rejects this narrative. Research following the judgment found comfortable majorities endorsing both the handling of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his sentencing. Yet the spectacle, and the blatant effort to damage the credibility of the court system, was in all likelihood just a trial run. Next year, the National Rally figure's appeal against a judgment for misuse of campaign money will be heard. If unsuccessful, the political candidate will be disqualified from running in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a risky period for the French judiciary to handle. Mr Sarkozy may yet be released before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his attorneys. But the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the judicial framework at all stages of his trial have created a negative standard.