{"id":29738,"date":"2025-10-22T07:57:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T07:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=29738"},"modified":"2025-10-22T07:57:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T07:57:38","slug":"the-guardian-view-on-sarkozys-first-day-in-prison-no-citizen-is-above-the-law-editorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=29738","title":{"rendered":"The Guardian view on Sarkozy\u2019s first day in prison: no citizen is above the law | Editorial"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A<\/span>s he was transported to La Sant\u00e9 prison in Paris on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy posted a message brimming\u00a0with defiance on X, writing \u201cIt\u2019s not a former\u00a0president of the republic who is being jailed this\u00a0morning, it\u2019s an innocent man\u201d. A court of appeal will eventually give its view on the veracity of the second clause of that statement. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the drama and significance of his fall cannot simply be wished away.<\/p>\n

President of France between 2007 and 2012, Mr\u00a0Sarkozy was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to obtain illicit campaign funds from the regime of the late Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. Handed a five\u2011year sentence, he has become the first former leader of an EU country to go behind bars, and the first French leader since the disgraced head of Vichy\u00a0France, Philippe P\u00e9tain. In a country in which the\u00a0elected president enjoys a quasi-monarchical status, Tuesday\u2019s extraordinary spectacle was a\u00a0seminal moment.<\/p>\n

At a time when faith in political institutions in France has collapsed to the point where the lights are flashing red, it was also a salutary demonstration that no one is above the law. In a poll published on Tuesday in\u00a0Le Monde newspaper, two-thirds of respondents said that they believed a majority of politicians were corrupt, and nearly nine out of 10 said that most acted mainly out of self-interest. In sentencing Mr\u00a0Sarkozy and ordering that his prison term should begin without\u00a0delay, the judge, Nathalie Gavarino, said that she took into account both the exceptionally grave nature of the offences and the fact that they were \u201clikely to undermine citizens\u2019 trust\u201d.<\/p>\n

Such reflections might be considered unexceptional, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has previously been convicted in separate corruption cases. But the Sarkozy trial and its aftermath have disturbingly laid bare the extent to which in France, as in other countries, the rule of law is threatened by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the attempted manipulation of public opinion.<\/p>\n

In Trumpian fashion, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been groundlessly presented by Mr Sarkozy\u2019s supporters as a judicial plot and leftwing vendetta. Following the ruling last month, the former president effectively denounced his sentence as unlawful and condemned the \u201chatred\u201d with \u201cno limits\u201d that allegedly motivated it. As senior politicians and supporters from the right and far right have filled the airwaves and conservative press with the same talking points, Ms\u00a0Gavarino has received numerous death threats.<\/p>\n

Hearteningly, the public does not appear to be buying it. A post-verdict poll found comfortable majorities backing both the conduct of Mr Sarkozy\u2019s trial and his sentencing. But the drama, and the naked attempt to undermine the reputation of the legal system, was in all likelihood merely a dress rehearsal. In January, Marine Le Pen\u2019s appeal against a conviction for embezzlement of political funds will take place. Should she lose it, the\u00a0far\u2011right National Rally leader will be ruled out of running in the 2027 presidential race.<\/p>\n

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to navigate. Mr Sarkozy may yet be released before his\u00a0own appeal, following a request by his lawyers. But the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the legal system before, during and after his trial\u00a0have\u00a0set a damaging precedent.<\/p>\n