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As he arrived at the Parisian detention facility on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy posted a declaration filled with resistance via social media, writing, "It's not a former president of the nation facing incarceration today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." The appeals judiciary is set to decide regarding the veracity of his claim. However, regrettably for the ex-president, the spectacle and impact of his fall cannot simply be wished away.

The Conviction

President of France during the 2007-2012 term, the former president was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to obtain illegal financing from the government of the deceased Libyan leader, Colonel Gaddafi. Given a five-year prison term, he has emerged as the first former leader of an EU country to be imprisoned, and the first French leader since the disgraced head of the Vichy regime, Marshal Pétain. Within a nation where the elected president possesses a near-royal standing, this week's unprecedented scene was a seminal moment.

National Faith and Legal Consequences

At a time when trust in government bodies in France has declined drastically to the degree where alarms are sounding, it was also a sobering reminder that the law applies to all. According to a survey published this week, a majority of participants indicated that they thought a most of government figures were corrupt, and the vast majority said that many operated primarily out of personal gain. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his prison term should start immediately, the judge, Nathalie Gavarino, said that she considered both the profoundly severe aspect of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, especially given that the ex-president has previously been found guilty in separate corruption cases. But the former president's case and its consequences have alarmingly revealed the extent to which within the nation, as in various states, the judicial framework is jeopardized by a newly fashionable disrespect toward legal institutions and the try to influence of societal perspectives.

Using divisive tactics, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a judicial plot and leftwing vendetta. Subsequent to the decision recently, the former president publicly criticized his sentence as unlawful and condemned the "hatred" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. While senior politicians and backers from the conservative and extremist have saturated public discourse and right-leaning media with the identical arguments, the judicial figure has obtained multiple threats.

Societal Feedback

Hearteningly, the population largely rejects this narrative. A survey after the ruling found significant majorities supporting both the conduct of the legal case and his sentencing. But the spectacle, and the blatant effort to damage the credibility of the legal system, was most probably just a trial run. Next year, the National Rally figure's appeal against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will take place. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be disqualified from running in the future campaign.

Long-term Effects

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a dangerous time for the country's courts to navigate. Mr Sarkozy may yet be released ahead of his next legal challenge, following a request by his attorneys. But the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the legal system at all stages of his proceedings have created a negative standard.