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While he was transported at La Santé prison on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy published a declaration brimming with resistance via social media, writing, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation entering prison this morning, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." The appeals judiciary is set to rule on the veracity of his claim. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and significance of his fall cannot be ignored.

The Legal Judgment

France's leader from 2007 to 2012, the former president was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to secure illegal financing from the government of the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Given a half-decade incarceration, he has been recorded as the pioneering past president of an EU member state to go behind bars, and the initial French president since the shamed head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. In a country where the elected president enjoys a near-royal standing, Tuesday's remarkable event was a seminal moment.

National Faith and Judicial Responsibility

In an era when confidence in political systems in France has plummeted to the extent where alarms are sounding, it was also a sobering reminder that everyone is subject to the law. According to a survey released recently, a majority of participants stated that they thought a most of elected officials were corrupt, and nearly nine out of 10 said that many behaved predominantly out of personal gain. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his sentence should start immediately, the presiding magistrate, the judge, declared that she factored in both the profoundly severe aspect of the violations and the fact that they were "potentially erode citizens' trust."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, notably because that the ex-president has before been sentenced in separate corruption cases. Yet the former president's case and its consequences have troublingly exposed the extent to which within the nation, as in different nations, the rule of law is endangered by a increasingly common disrespect toward legal institutions and the attempted manipulation of the popular view.

Following a populist playbook, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been groundlessly presented by the former president's allies as a courtroom scheme and leftwing vendetta. Subsequent to the decision in September, the former president effectively denounced his sentence as illegal and condemned the "hatred" with "no limits" that reportedly inspired it. While high-ranking leaders and backers from the conservative and extremist have saturated public discourse and traditional outlets with the same talking points, the judicial figure has received multiple threats.

Citizen Reaction

Reassuringly, the population seems unconvinced. Research following the judgment found significant majorities supporting both the proceedings of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his sentencing. However the drama, and the naked attempt to weaken the standing of the legal system, was most probably just a trial run. In January, the National Rally figure's legal challenge against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will take place. If unsuccessful, the political candidate 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 country's courts to manage. Mr Sarkozy might eventually exit ahead of his next legal challenge, after an application by his attorneys. Yet the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the court system throughout his trial have set a damaging precedent.