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As he made his way at La Santé prison on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy published a message filled with defiance via social media, stating, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation entering prison today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal is set to give its view the truthfulness of that statement. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and significance of his decline cannot simply be wished away.

The Legal Judgment

President of France from 2007 to 2012, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to acquire illicit campaign funds from the government of the late Libyan dictator, the Libyan strongman. Given a five-year sentence, he has emerged as the first former leader of an EU member state to be imprisoned, and the first French leader since the shamed head of the Vichy regime, the Vichy leader. Within a nation where the elected president possesses a almost king-like position, Tuesday's remarkable event was a seminal moment.

Citizen Confidence and Legal Consequences

In an era when confidence in political systems in France has collapsed to the point where alarms are sounding, it was also a sobering reminder that everyone is subject to the law. As per a study issued on Tuesday, a majority of participants indicated that they felt a large number of elected officials were corrupt, and nearly nine out of 10 claimed that many acted mainly out of self-interest. In sentencing the former president and directing that his sentence should start immediately, the presiding magistrate, Nathalie Gavarino, declared that she considered both the exceptionally grave nature of the violations and the fact that they were "potentially erode the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, especially given that the ex-president has before been sentenced in other graft trials. But the legal proceedings and its aftermath have alarmingly revealed the extent to which in France, as in various states, the rule of law is endangered by a recently popular disrespect toward legal institutions and the attempted manipulation of societal perspectives.

In Trumpian fashion, an thorough and detailed legal process has been falsely depicted by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a courtroom scheme and leftwing vendetta. Following the ruling recently, the former president publicly criticized his judgment as invalid and censured the "hatred" with "no limits" that reportedly inspired it. Since prominent officials and supporters from the right and far right have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the same talking points, the judge has obtained multiple threats.

Public Response

Encouragingly, the population does not appear to be buying it. A survey after the ruling found comfortable majorities endorsing both the handling of the legal case and his sentencing. But the drama, and the blatant effort to weaken the standing of the legal system, was most probably just a trial run. In January, the National Rally figure's appeal against a guilty verdict for diversion of electoral finances will occur. Should she lose it, the political candidate will be excluded from participating in the future campaign.

Coming Consequences

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to navigate. The former president could still be freed before his own appeal, following a request by his attorneys. Yet the reckless and unfounded criticisms on the judicial framework throughout his trial have set a damaging precedent.