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While he was transported at La Santé prison on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy shared a message brimming with resistance via social media, stating, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation facing incarceration today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." The appeals judiciary will in time rule on the accuracy of that statement. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and impact of his decline cannot simply be wished away.

The Guilty Verdict

The French head of state from 2007 to 2012, Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of illegal collaboration to acquire illegal financing from the administration of the former Libyan ruler, the Libyan strongman. Given a half-decade incarceration, he has emerged as the initial ex-head of an EU member state to enter prison, and the first French leader since the shamed head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. In a country where the elected president possesses a near-royal standing, Tuesday's unprecedented scene was a seminal moment.

Public Trust and Legal Consequences

At a time when trust in government bodies in France has declined drastically to the degree where warning signs are evident, it was also a sobering reminder that the law applies to all. According to a survey released on Tuesday, over 65% of those surveyed said that they felt a most of government figures were corrupt, and the vast majority reported that the majority behaved predominantly out of personal gain. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his incarceration should start immediately, the judge, Nathalie Gavarino, noted that she took into account both the exceptionally grave nature of the crimes and the fact that they were "could damage the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, notably because that Mr Sarkozy has in the past been found guilty in separate corruption cases. However the legal proceedings and its fallout have alarmingly revealed the extent to which across the country, as in various states, the judicial framework is endangered by a recently popular contempt for the judiciary and the effort to control of the popular view.

Using divisive tactics, an exhaustive and meticulous judicial procedure has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a courtroom scheme and ideological revenge. Subsequent to the decision last month, the former president publicly criticized his sentence as invalid and decried the "animosity" with "no limits" that allegedly motivated it. While prominent officials and supporters from the traditional and radical have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the similar rhetoric, Ms Gavarino has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Citizen Reaction

Encouragingly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. Research following the judgment found significant majorities endorsing both the conduct of the legal case and his conviction. But the drama, and the obvious try to damage the credibility of the court system, was most probably merely a dress rehearsal. During winter, the far-right leader's appeal against a guilty verdict for misuse of campaign money will be heard. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be ruled out from competing in the 2027 presidential race.

Coming Consequences

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a dangerous time for the country's courts to handle. Mr Sarkozy might eventually exit ahead of his next legal challenge, subsequent to a petition by his legal team. Yet the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the court system before, during and after his trial have established a harmful example.