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While he made his way at the Parisian detention facility on Tuesday, the former French leader published a message filled with resistance via social media, asserting, "This isn't a former president of the republic facing incarceration this morning, it's an wrongfully accused individual." An appellate court will in time decide regarding the veracity of this assertion. But unfortunately for the ex-president, the drama and importance of his decline cannot be dismissed.

The Conviction

France's leader between 2007 and 2012, the former president was found guilty of criminal conspiracy to acquire illegal financing from the government of the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Handed a five-year sentence, he has become the pioneering past president of an EU country to go behind bars, and the earliest French head of state since the shamed head of wartime France, the Vichy leader. Across France where the elected president enjoys a near-royal standing, this week's extraordinary spectacle was a seminal moment.

Public Trust and Legal Accountability

In an era when faith in political institutions in France has plummeted to the extent where warning signs are evident, it was also a sobering reminder that the law applies to all. In a poll released recently, two-thirds of respondents indicated that they believed a large number of elected officials were corrupt, and almost 90% reported that the majority operated primarily out of self-interest. In sentencing the former president and mandating that his prison term should start immediately, the judge, the judicial authority, noted that she took into account both the profoundly severe aspect of the violations and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

These considerations might be considered unexceptional, notably because that the ex-president has previously been convicted in distinct bribery proceedings. But the Sarkozy trial and its aftermath have alarmingly revealed the extent to which across the country, as in various states, the legal system is threatened by a newly fashionable disrespect toward legal institutions and the effort to control of public opinion.

Using divisive tactics, an exhaustive and meticulous judicial procedure has been falsely depicted by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a legal conspiracy and leftwing vendetta. Subsequent to the decision recently, the former president effectively denounced his sentence as invalid and censured the "animosity" with "no boundaries" that allegedly motivated it. As prominent officials and advocates from the traditional and radical have dominated media discussions and conservative press with the similar rhetoric, the judicial figure has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Public Response

Encouragingly, the public seems unconvinced. A post-verdict poll found significant majorities endorsing both the handling of the courtroom process and his sentencing. But the spectacle, and the obvious try to damage the credibility of the judicial system, was most probably merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, the far-right leader's court petition against a guilty verdict for embezzlement of political funds will be heard. If the appeal fails, the conservative figure will be excluded from competing in the upcoming election.

Long-term Effects

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a dangerous time for the national legal system to handle. Mr Sarkozy might eventually exit ahead of his next legal challenge, subsequent to a petition by his lawyers. Yet the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the legal system at all stages of his proceedings have created a negative standard.