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While he was transported at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader posted a statement filled with resistance via social media, writing, "It's not a former president of the republic facing incarceration today, but rather an innocent man." An appellate court is set to give its view the veracity of that statement. However, regrettably for the ex-president, the drama and significance of his decline cannot simply be wished away.

The Conviction

The French head of state between 2007 and 2012, the former president was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to secure illegal financing from the regime of the late Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi. Given a half-decade incarceration, he has been recorded as the first former leader of an EU country to go behind bars, and the initial French president since the shamed head of Vichy France, Marshal Pétain. In a country where the democratically selected head of state possesses a quasi-monarchical status, the recent 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 alarms are sounding, it was also a sobering reminder that everyone is subject to the law. As per a study released recently, over 65% of those surveyed said that they believed a most of elected officials were dishonest, and almost 90% reported that many acted mainly out of individual benefit. While judging Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his prison term should begin without delay, the presiding magistrate, the judge, noted that she took into account both the extremely serious character of the violations and the fact that they were "could damage public confidence."

Courtroom Struggles

Such reflections might be seen as ordinary, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has previously been convicted in other graft trials. However the Sarkozy trial and its fallout have disturbingly laid bare the degree to which in France, as in different nations, the judicial framework is endangered by a increasingly common contempt for the judiciary and the effort to control of the popular view.

In Trumpian fashion, an exhaustive and meticulous judicial procedure has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a judicial plot and political retaliation. Following the ruling in September, the former president openly condemned his punishment as invalid and decried the "hostility" with "no limits" that supposedly drove it. While senior politicians and backers from the right and far right have filled the airwaves and traditional outlets with the identical arguments, the judicial figure has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Societal Feedback

Hearteningly, the population does not appear to be buying it. A post-verdict poll found clear majorities backing both the handling of the legal case and his sentencing. But the spectacle, and the blatant effort to damage the credibility of the court system, was in all likelihood just a trial run. During winter, the far-right leader's court petition against a guilty verdict for embezzlement of political funds will take place. Should she lose it, the conservative figure will be ruled out from running in the upcoming election.

Coming Consequences

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the country's courts to manage. The former president might eventually exit ahead of his next legal challenge, following a request by his legal team. Yet the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the court system throughout his trial have created a negative standard.