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As he arrived at the Parisian detention facility this week, Nicolas Sarkozy shared a statement brimming with resistance via social media, stating, "This isn't a former president of the nation facing incarceration this morning, it's an wrongfully accused individual." The appeals judiciary will eventually rule on the truthfulness of this assertion. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the drama and importance of his downfall cannot be dismissed.

The Conviction

President of France from 2007 to 2012, the former president was convicted of unlawful plotting to obtain illegal financing from the regime of the former Libyan ruler, the Libyan strongman. Given a five-year prison term, he has been recorded as the initial ex-head of an European Union nation to enter prison, and the earliest French head of state since the disgraced head of the Vichy regime, Philippe Pétain. Across France where the elected president enjoys a near-royal standing, the recent unprecedented scene was a defining instance.

National Faith and Legal Consequences

At a time when faith in political institutions in France has plummeted to the degree where warning signs are evident, it was also a instructive example that no one is above the law. In a poll published recently, over 65% of those surveyed said that they thought a large number of elected officials were corrupt, and almost 90% claimed that the majority behaved predominantly out of individual benefit. While judging Mr Sarkozy and directing that his prison term should begin without delay, the court official, the judicial authority, declared that she considered both the extremely serious character of the violations and the fact that they were "could damage citizens' trust."

Legal Challenges

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, particularly since that Mr Sarkozy has in the past been found guilty in other graft trials. But the former president's case and its consequences have alarmingly revealed the degree to which across the country, as in various states, the rule of law is threatened by a newly fashionable disrespect toward legal institutions and the try to influence of the popular view.

Using divisive tactics, an thorough and detailed legal process has been falsely depicted by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a legal conspiracy and ideological revenge. After the verdict recently, the former president openly condemned his sentence as illegal and condemned the "hatred" with "no restraints" that reportedly inspired it. While high-ranking leaders and supporters from the right and far right have dominated media discussions and right-leaning media with the similar rhetoric, Ms Gavarino has obtained numerous death threats.

Public Response

Hearteningly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. A post-verdict poll found comfortable majorities endorsing both the conduct of the legal case and his sentencing. Yet the spectacle, and the obvious try to damage the credibility of the court system, was very likely only a preliminary test. During winter, the National Rally figure's appeal against a conviction for misuse of campaign money will be heard. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be excluded from competing in the upcoming election.

Coming Consequences

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to manage. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed ahead of his next legal challenge, after an application by his attorneys. However the unfounded and damaging assaults on the judicial framework at all stages of his trial have established a harmful example.