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As he was transported at La Santé prison this week, the former French leader shared a statement brimming with defiance via social media, stating, "This isn't a former president of the republic entering prison today, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal will in time decide regarding the accuracy of this assertion. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the spectacle and impact of his fall cannot simply be wished away.

The Guilty Verdict

The French head of state from 2007 to 2012, the former president was judged culpable of illegal collaboration to acquire illegal financing from the regime of the late Libyan dictator, the Libyan strongman. Given a five-year sentence, he has become the initial ex-head of an EU country to enter prison, and the first French leader since the disgraced head of wartime France, Marshal Pétain. Across France where the democratically selected head of state holds a almost king-like position, the recent unprecedented scene was a seminal moment.

Citizen Confidence and Legal Accountability

In an era when faith in political institutions in France has plummeted to the point where alarms are sounding, it was also a instructive example that no one is above the law. In a poll released on Tuesday, over 65% of those surveyed indicated that they felt a majority of politicians were corrupt, and the vast majority claimed that the majority operated primarily out of individual benefit. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his incarceration should start immediately, the presiding magistrate, the judge, declared that she took into account both the profoundly severe aspect of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Such reflections might be deemed typical, particularly since that Mr Sarkozy has previously been found guilty in separate corruption cases. Yet the legal proceedings and its fallout have disturbingly laid bare the scope to which across the country, as in other countries, the legal system is threatened by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the try to influence of public opinion.

In Trumpian fashion, an exhaustive and meticulous court case has been groundlessly presented by the former president's allies as a legal conspiracy and leftwing vendetta. Following the ruling recently, the ex-leader publicly criticized his judgment as unlawful and condemned the "hostility" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. While senior politicians and supporters from the traditional and radical have filled the airwaves and right-leaning media with the identical arguments, the judicial figure has obtained numerous death threats.

Public Response

Reassuringly, the citizens seems unconvinced. A post-verdict poll found clear majorities endorsing both the handling of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his punishment. But the spectacle, and the blatant effort to damage the credibility of the legal system, was most probably merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, the far-right leader's appeal against a judgment for misuse of campaign money will be heard. If unsuccessful, the far-right National Rally leader will be excluded from participating in the future campaign.

Long-term Effects

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to handle. The former president might eventually exit ahead of his next legal challenge, after an application by his attorneys. Yet the unfounded and damaging assaults on the court system before, during and after his trial have set a damaging precedent.