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As he arrived at La Santé prison this week, Nicolas Sarkozy published a declaration filled with defiance via social media, asserting, "It's not a former president of the republic facing incarceration today, it's an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal will eventually rule on the accuracy of his claim. Yet sadly for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and significance of his fall cannot simply be wished away.

The Conviction

The French head of state during the 2007-2012 term, Mr Sarkozy was convicted of illegal collaboration to secure prohibited donations from the administration of the deceased Libyan leader, the Libyan strongman. Given a five-year prison term, he has been recorded as the initial ex-head of an European Union nation to be imprisoned, and the initial French president since the shamed head of the Vichy regime, the Vichy leader. In a country where the elected president enjoys a quasi-monarchical status, the recent extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance.

National Faith and Legal Consequences

In an era when faith in political institutions in France has plummeted to the degree where alarms are sounding, it was also a sobering reminder that no one is above the law. In a poll published on Tuesday, two-thirds of respondents stated that they thought a most of politicians were dishonest, and almost 90% reported that the majority behaved predominantly out of self-interest. While judging Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his prison term should start immediately, the judge, the judicial authority, noted that she factored in both the extremely serious character of the offences and the fact that they were "likely to undermine citizens' trust."

Judicial Threats

These considerations might be seen as ordinary, notably because that the ex-president has before been found guilty in distinct bribery proceedings. But the former president's case and its consequences have troublingly exposed the extent to which in France, as in other countries, the judicial framework is endangered by a newly fashionable contempt for the judiciary and the effort to control of the popular view.

Following a populist playbook, an exhaustive and meticulous court case has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a courtroom scheme and political retaliation. Subsequent to the decision last month, the former president openly condemned his sentence as illegal and censured the "animosity" with "no limits" that supposedly drove it. While senior politicians and backers from the conservative and extremist have filled the airwaves and right-leaning media with the similar rhetoric, Ms Gavarino has been subjected to various menaces.

Citizen Reaction

Hearteningly, the public does not appear to be buying it. Research following the judgment found comfortable majorities endorsing both the conduct of the courtroom process and his punishment. Yet the spectacle, and the blatant effort to weaken the standing of the legal system, was very likely just a trial run. Next year, the far-right leader's legal challenge against a judgment for misuse of campaign money will take place. If unsuccessful, the far-right National Rally leader will be ruled out from running in the upcoming election.

Coming Consequences

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the French judiciary to manage. The former president might eventually exit before his own appeal, subsequent to a petition by his attorneys. However the unfounded and damaging assaults on the judicial framework before, during and after his case have created a negative standard.