🔗 Share this article The Former President's Initial 24 Hours in Prison: No Citizen Stands Above the Law As he arrived at the Parisian detention facility on Tuesday, the former French leader posted a declaration overflowing with resistance via social media, writing, "It's not a former president of the republic who is being jailed today, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal is set to give its view the veracity of his claim. But unfortunately for the ex-president, the turmoil and impact of his decline cannot be ignored. The Guilty Verdict The French head of state between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was convicted of criminal conspiracy to secure illegal financing from the government of the former Libyan ruler, Colonel Gaddafi. Given a half-decade incarceration, he has been recorded as the pioneering past president of an EU country to be imprisoned, and the initial French president since the dishonored head of wartime France, the Vichy leader. Within a nation where the elected president holds a near-royal standing, this week's unprecedented scene was a historic occasion. Citizen Confidence and Legal Consequences At a time when faith in political institutions in France has collapsed to the degree where the lights are flashing red, it was also a salutary demonstration that everyone is subject to the law. In a poll published on Tuesday, two-thirds of respondents said that they felt a majority of politicians were dishonest, and almost 90% claimed that the majority operated primarily out of personal gain. While judging Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his incarceration should begin without delay, the court official, the judge, noted that she considered both the extremely serious character of the crimes and the fact that they were "potentially erode citizens' trust." Courtroom Struggles These considerations might be deemed typical, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has previously been convicted in separate corruption cases. But the Sarkozy trial and its fallout have disturbingly laid bare the scope to which within the nation, as in various states, the judicial framework is jeopardized by a increasingly common contempt for the judiciary and the try to influence of public opinion. In Trumpian fashion, an exhaustive and meticulous court case has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a courtroom scheme and leftwing vendetta. After the verdict last month, the ex-leader effectively denounced his punishment as illegal and censured the "hatred" with "no restraints" that supposedly drove it. As senior politicians and backers from the conservative and extremist have filled the airwaves and conservative press with the identical arguments, the judicial figure has received various menaces. Public Response Encouragingly, the population largely rejects this narrative. Research following the judgment found comfortable majorities backing both the proceedings of the courtroom process and his conviction. But the spectacle, and the obvious try to damage the credibility of the judicial system, was very likely just a trial run. Next year, the National Rally figure's court petition against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will occur. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be excluded from competing in the future campaign. Coming Consequences Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a dangerous time for the French judiciary to handle. The former president may yet be released ahead of his next legal challenge, after an application by his legal team. Yet the reckless and unfounded criticisms on the judicial framework throughout his proceedings have established a harmful example.