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While he was transported at the Parisian detention facility this week, Nicolas Sarkozy posted a statement overflowing with defiance via social media, stating, "It's not a former president of the republic who is being jailed this morning, it's an innocent man." A court of appeal will in time rule on the accuracy of this assertion. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the drama and significance of his decline cannot be dismissed.

The Guilty Verdict

The French head of state from 2007 to 2012, Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of unlawful plotting to secure illegal financing from the regime of the former Libyan ruler, Muammar Gaddafi. Given a half-decade incarceration, he has become the first former leader of an European Union nation to be imprisoned, and the first French leader since the dishonored head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. In a country where the chosen leader holds a quasi-monarchical status, the recent unprecedented scene was a seminal moment.

Citizen Confidence and Legal Consequences

In an era when trust in government bodies in France has declined drastically to the extent where alarms are sounding, it was also a salutary demonstration that no one is above the law. In a poll released recently, a majority of participants said that they felt a most of politicians were dishonest, and nearly nine out of 10 said that the majority operated primarily out of individual benefit. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his prison term should commence promptly, the judge, the judge, said that she took into account both the extremely serious character of the violations and the fact that they were "could damage citizens' trust."

Legal Challenges

Those thoughts might be deemed typical, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has in the past been found guilty in separate corruption cases. Yet the Sarkozy trial and its consequences have disturbingly laid bare the scope to which across the country, as in other countries, the legal system is endangered by a increasingly common disrespect toward legal institutions and the try to influence of public opinion.

Using divisive tactics, an thorough and detailed legal process has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a courtroom scheme and leftwing vendetta. Following the ruling in September, the ex-leader openly condemned his sentence as unlawful and condemned the "hostility" with "no restraints" that reportedly inspired it. While prominent officials and backers from the conservative and extremist have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the similar rhetoric, the judge has obtained various menaces.

Societal Feedback

Reassuringly, the citizens seems unconvinced. Research following the judgment found clear majorities backing both the proceedings of the legal case and his sentencing. But the drama, and the blatant effort to weaken the standing of the legal system, was in all likelihood only a preliminary test. In January, Marine Le Pen's legal challenge against a conviction for embezzlement of political funds will be heard. Should she lose it, the far-right National Rally leader will be ruled out from competing in the future campaign.

Future Implications

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a risky period for the national legal system to handle. The former president could still be freed ahead of his next legal challenge, following a request by his legal team. But the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the court system throughout his trial have created a negative standard.