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As he was transported at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader posted a declaration filled with opposition on X, asserting, "It's not a former president of the republic who is being jailed today, but rather an innocent man." An appellate court will in time decide regarding the truthfulness of this assertion. But unfortunately for the ex-president, the drama and importance of his decline cannot be ignored.

The Conviction

President of France during the 2007-2012 term, Mr Sarkozy was convicted of unlawful plotting to secure prohibited donations from the government of the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Sentenced to a five-year sentence, he has emerged as the pioneering past president of an EU member state to go behind bars, and the initial French president since the shamed head of wartime France, Marshal Pétain. Across France where the democratically selected head of state holds a almost king-like position, this week's extraordinary spectacle was a historic occasion.

National Faith and Judicial Responsibility

At a time when faith in political institutions in France has collapsed to the degree where alarms are sounding, it was also a sobering reminder that everyone is subject to the law. As per a study released on Tuesday, a majority of participants said that they felt a most of politicians were dishonest, and almost 90% reported that the majority behaved predominantly out of self-interest. While judging the former president and directing that his prison term should commence promptly, the presiding magistrate, the judge, declared that she factored in both the exceptionally grave nature of the offences and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Courtroom Struggles

Those thoughts might be deemed typical, particularly since that the ex-president has in the past been found guilty in distinct bribery proceedings. However the former president's case and its consequences have troublingly exposed the degree to which across the country, as in other countries, the legal system is endangered by a recently popular contempt for the judiciary and the try to influence of public opinion.

In Trumpian fashion, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been falsely depicted by his backers as a courtroom scheme and political retaliation. Following the ruling recently, the ex-leader openly condemned his judgment as invalid and censured the "animosity" with "no boundaries" that allegedly motivated it. While senior politicians and backers from the right and far right have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the identical arguments, the judicial figure has obtained numerous death threats.

Citizen Reaction

Reassuringly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. Research following the judgment found significant majorities supporting both the conduct of the legal case and his punishment. Yet the spectacle, and the naked attempt to undermine the reputation of the judicial system, was most probably merely a dress rehearsal. In January, Marine Le Pen's court petition against a guilty verdict for diversion of electoral finances will take place. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be excluded from running in the future campaign.

Long-term Effects

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the country's courts to handle. Mr Sarkozy may yet be released before his own appeal, after an application by his attorneys. However the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the legal system before, during and after his case have established a harmful example.