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While he was transported at the Parisian detention facility this week, Nicolas Sarkozy posted a message filled with opposition via social media, asserting, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation who is being jailed this morning, but rather an innocent man." An appellate court will in time decide regarding the veracity of that statement. However, regrettably for the ex-president, the spectacle and importance of his decline cannot be ignored.

The Guilty Verdict

France's leader during the 2007-2012 term, Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to acquire illegal financing from the administration of the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Handed a five-year sentence, he has become the initial ex-head of an European Union nation to be imprisoned, and the initial French president since the disgraced head of the Vichy regime, Philippe Pétain. Across France where the elected president holds a quasi-monarchical status, the recent unprecedented scene was a seminal moment.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

At a time when confidence in political systems in France has collapsed to the extent where warning signs are evident, it was also a instructive example that everyone is subject to the law. According to a survey published this week, a majority of participants indicated that they felt a majority of elected officials were unethical, and almost 90% claimed that many operated primarily out of personal gain. When convicting Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his prison term should commence promptly, the court official, the judge, declared that she took into account both the exceptionally grave nature of the violations and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Legal Challenges

These considerations might be seen as ordinary, especially given that the ex-president has before been sentenced in other graft trials. But the legal proceedings and its fallout have alarmingly revealed the degree to which in France, as in various states, the judicial framework is endangered by a recently popular disdain for courts and the effort to control of societal perspectives.

Following a populist playbook, an exhaustive and meticulous judicial procedure has been baselessly portrayed by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a judicial plot and political retaliation. Subsequent to the decision in September, the ex-leader publicly criticized his judgment as unlawful and decried the "hatred" with "no restraints" that allegedly motivated it. While high-ranking leaders and backers from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and right-leaning media with the similar rhetoric, the judge has received various menaces.

Citizen Reaction

Reassuringly, the citizens seems unconvinced. A survey after the ruling found significant majorities endorsing both the conduct of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his conviction. Yet the turmoil, and the obvious try to damage the credibility of the legal system, was very likely just a trial run. Next year, Marine Le Pen's court petition against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will take place. If unsuccessful, the far-right National Rally leader will be disqualified from participating in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a dangerous time for the national legal system to manage. Mr Sarkozy may yet be released prior to his appeal hearing, after an application by his legal team. However the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the court system at all stages of his case have set a damaging precedent.