The former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has officially begun his five-year prison sentence at a facility in Paris. This marks a truly historic moment, as it’s the first time in over half a century that an ex-head of state in France has been incarcerated.
Tuesday morning saw Sarkozy departing his home. He was met by a crowd of friends and loyal supporters who cheered his name and sang the French national anthem as he made his way, accompanied by a police convoy, to the prison. One of his legal representatives, Jean-Michel Darrois, expressed the gravity of the day outside the prison walls, stating, “It is a fateful day for him, for France, for our institutions, because this incarceration is a shame.”
Sarkozy’s conviction stemmed from a significant campaign finance scandal. He was found guilty last month of plotting to secure funds for his 2007 presidential campaign from the regime of Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, the former Libyan dictator. This led to his five-year sentence.
Although many speculate that he might not serve the full term, this verdict and Sarkozy’s strong public rejection of it have ignited a passionate debate across the country. The judges involved in the case have faced severe backlash, including death threats on social media, as confirmed by Jacques Boulard, the president of Paris’s Court of Appeal.
Sarkozy, a former lawyer known for his tenacious spirit and sharp intellect, quickly climbed the ranks of French politics. Even after leaving office in 2012, he maintained considerable influence within his conservative party, the Republicans, and notably supported President Emmanuel Macron during the 2022 elections. While Macron has remained silent on the verdict itself, he did publicly denounce attacks against judges as “unacceptable” following Sarkozy’s conviction.
Adding to the fallout, Sarkozy has also been stripped of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest distinction. He maintains his innocence and has formally appealed the verdict. He will be held in solitary confinement at La Santé prison in southern Paris to ensure his safety, according to Sébastien Cauwel, the head of the prison administration.
Reacting to his situation, Sarkozy stated earlier this week, “I will continue to denounce this legal scandal, this ordeal that I have been enduring for more than ten years.” At a recent gathering with close associates, Sarkozy, who has Jewish ancestry, reportedly drew a comparison between his situation and that of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army captain falsely accused of espionage in 1894, remarking, “The end of the story is not written yet.”
Throughout his post-presidency, Sarkozy has faced several high-profile legal battles, with convictions for corruption, influence peddling, and campaign finance breaches. However, the current case is widely considered his most serious and intricate legal challenge.
He was granted some time to organize his affairs before his incarceration, but judges stipulated that he would not remain free during the appeal process. This decision has been sharply criticized by his supporters, who argue it’s an unnecessary humiliation for a former head of state, particularly since he poses no flight risk. However, a Justice Ministry report from 2023 indicates that defendants sentenced to over two years, like Sarkozy, are typically incarcerated immediately in 89 percent of cases.
François-Xavier Bellamy, a Republican member of the European Parliament, publicly labeled the verdict as “political.” Geoffroy Didier, the party’s vice president, went further, suggesting it was an attempt to “humiliate” the former president.
President Macron’s office confirmed that he met with Sarkozy last Friday, with Macron himself noting that it was “normal on a human level” to engage with a predecessor under such circumstances, though he reiterated his neutrality on the verdict.
Sarkozy’s strong reaction to his conviction has reignited a broader conversation about judicial independence, especially after far-right leader Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement in April and subsequently banned from public office for five years. Her supporters similarly alleged judicial interference in electoral processes at that time.
The newspaper Le Monde, in a recent editorial, cautioned that Sarkozy’s response risked “a disastrous Trumpization of the debate in France,” highlighting increasing global political pressure on judicial systems.
Leading up to his incarceration, Sarkozy received increased backing from some conservative politicians. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin expressed “a lot of sadness” for Sarkozy in a radio interview and committed to visiting him in prison. Culture Minister Rachida Dati described the former president as “like family.” Both ministers had previously worked with Sarkozy, with Dati having served as justice minister during his presidency.
Sarkozy’s appeal against the verdict is scheduled to be heard before the end of March. His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, has filed a request for early release ahead of the appeal, a request the Paris Court of Appeal usually reviews within a month, though it has up to two months.