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As he arrived at La Santé prison on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy shared a statement filled with opposition via social media, writing, "This isn't a former president of the republic entering prison today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal will eventually give its view the accuracy of that statement. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the drama and importance of his downfall cannot simply be wished away.

The Conviction

The French head of state from 2007 to 2012, the former president was convicted of illegal collaboration to acquire illegal financing from the administration of the late Libyan dictator, the Libyan strongman. Handed a five-year prison term, he has been recorded as the pioneering past president of an EU member state to be imprisoned, and the earliest French head of state since the dishonored head of the Vichy regime, Philippe Pétain. In a country where the elected president enjoys a almost king-like position, this week's unprecedented scene was a historic occasion.

Public Trust and Legal Consequences

During a period when faith in political institutions in France has declined drastically to the point where alarms are sounding, it was also a salutary demonstration that no one is above the law. As per a study released recently, two-thirds of respondents indicated that they believed a majority of politicians were corrupt, and almost 90% claimed that the majority operated primarily out of individual benefit. In sentencing the former president and mandating that his prison term should begin without delay, the presiding magistrate, the judge, declared that she considered both the exceptionally grave nature of the offences and the fact that they were "likely to undermine citizens' trust."

Legal Challenges

Such reflections might be considered unexceptional, notably because that Mr Sarkozy has previously been convicted in other graft trials. However the former president's case and its aftermath have troublingly exposed the degree to which across the country, as in various states, the rule of law is endangered by a increasingly common contempt for the judiciary and the try to influence of societal perspectives.

In Trumpian fashion, an thorough and detailed legal process has been baselessly portrayed by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a judicial plot and political retaliation. After the verdict last month, the ex-leader effectively denounced his judgment as unlawful and decried the "hatred" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. Since high-ranking leaders and backers from the conservative and extremist have dominated media discussions and right-leaning media with the same talking points, the judicial figure has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Public Response

Reassuringly, the population largely rejects this narrative. A post-verdict poll found clear majorities supporting both the conduct of the legal case and his sentencing. Yet the drama, and the naked attempt to weaken the standing of the legal system, was most probably only a preliminary test. Next year, the far-right leader's legal challenge against a conviction for misuse of campaign money will be heard. If the appeal fails, the conservative figure will be ruled out from running in the future campaign.

Future Implications

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to manage. The former president could still be freed before his own appeal, after an application by his legal team. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the judicial framework throughout his proceedings have established a harmful example.