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While he made his way at La Santé prison on Tuesday, the former French leader published a message filled with defiance via social media, asserting, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation entering prison today, it's an innocent man." The appeals judiciary will in time rule on the veracity of this assertion. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the drama and significance of his decline cannot be ignored.

The Conviction

France's leader during the 2007-2012 term, Mr Sarkozy was convicted of unlawful plotting to acquire illegal financing from the administration of the former Libyan ruler, Colonel Gaddafi. Handed a five-year prison term, he has been recorded as the first former leader of an European Union nation to enter prison, and the initial French president since the dishonored head of Vichy France, the Vichy leader. In a country where the democratically selected head of state possesses a almost king-like position, Tuesday's extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance.

Citizen Confidence and Legal Consequences

In an era when confidence in political systems in France has plummeted to the point where alarms are sounding, it was also a salutary demonstration that the law applies to all. In a poll issued recently, two-thirds of respondents stated that they thought a most of elected officials were unethical, and the vast majority said that the majority operated primarily out of self-interest. When convicting Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his incarceration should commence promptly, the presiding magistrate, Nathalie Gavarino, said that she considered both the exceptionally grave nature of the violations and the fact that they were "could damage the people's faith."

Courtroom Struggles

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, particularly since that Mr Sarkozy has before been convicted in other graft trials. But the former president's case and its aftermath have troublingly exposed the degree to which in France, as in different nations, the rule of law is endangered by a increasingly common disrespect toward legal institutions and the try to influence of the popular view.

Using divisive tactics, an exhaustive and meticulous judicial procedure has been groundlessly presented by his backers as a legal conspiracy and leftwing vendetta. Following the ruling in September, the ex-leader publicly criticized his sentence as unlawful and decried the "hatred" with "no limits" that reportedly inspired it. As prominent officials and supporters from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and traditional outlets with the identical arguments, the judge has been subjected to multiple threats.

Citizen Reaction

Hearteningly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. Research following the judgment found comfortable majorities backing both the handling of the courtroom process and his conviction. However the turmoil, and the blatant effort to undermine the reputation of the judicial system, was very likely only a preliminary test. During winter, the far-right leader's appeal against a conviction for diversion of electoral finances will take place. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be disqualified from competing in the future campaign.

Long-term Effects

In a polarised and mistrustful nation, that will be a perilous moment for the national legal system to navigate. The former president could still be freed prior to his appeal hearing, following a request by his legal team. Yet the unfounded and damaging assaults on the judicial framework before, during and after his trial have set a damaging precedent.