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As he arrived at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader published a declaration brimming with defiance via social media, writing, "It's not a former president of the republic entering prison this morning, it's an innocent man." A court of appeal will eventually decide regarding the truthfulness of that statement. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and impact of his fall cannot simply be wished away.

The Legal Judgment

France's leader from 2007 to 2012, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of unlawful plotting to acquire prohibited donations from the regime of the late Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi. Handed a five-year sentence, he has become the pioneering past president of an EU country to be imprisoned, and the first French leader since the dishonored head of the Vichy regime, Philippe Pétain. Within a nation where the democratically selected head of state holds a quasi-monarchical status, this week's remarkable event was a historic occasion.

National Faith and Judicial Responsibility

In an era when faith in political institutions in France has plummeted to the degree where the lights are flashing red, it was also a instructive example that everyone is subject to the law. As per a study issued on Tuesday, two-thirds of respondents said that they thought a majority of politicians were dishonest, and nearly nine out of 10 reported that most acted mainly out of self-interest. In sentencing the former president and directing that his prison term should start immediately, the presiding magistrate, Nathalie Gavarino, declared that she considered both the extremely serious character of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Courtroom Struggles

Those thoughts might be seen as ordinary, especially given that the ex-president has before been convicted in distinct bribery proceedings. However the former president's case and its consequences have disturbingly laid bare the degree to which in France, as in other countries, the judicial framework is jeopardized by a increasingly common contempt for the judiciary and the effort to control of the popular view.

Following a populist playbook, an comprehensive and precise court case has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a judicial plot and political retaliation. Subsequent to the decision in September, the ex-leader publicly criticized his punishment as invalid and decried the "animosity" with "no restraints" that supposedly drove it. Since high-ranking leaders and advocates from the conservative and extremist have filled the airwaves and right-leaning media with the same talking points, the judicial figure has received various menaces.

Citizen Reaction

Reassuringly, the population does not appear to be buying it. A post-verdict poll found significant majorities endorsing both the proceedings of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his conviction. Yet the spectacle, and the blatant effort to undermine the reputation of the court system, was in all likelihood just a trial run. During winter, the far-right leader's court petition against a judgment for misuse of campaign money will occur. If the appeal fails, the conservative figure will be excluded from running in the future campaign.

Coming Consequences

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a risky period for the French judiciary to navigate. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed ahead of his next legal challenge, subsequent to a petition by his attorneys. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the legal system at all stages of his case have set a damaging precedent.