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While he made his way at the Parisian detention facility this week, Nicolas Sarkozy shared a declaration filled with defiance via social media, writing, "It's not a ex-leader of the republic facing incarceration this morning, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." An appellate court is set to rule on the veracity of this assertion. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the turmoil and impact of his decline cannot be ignored.

The Conviction

France's leader during the 2007-2012 term, the former president was convicted of illegal collaboration to acquire illicit campaign funds from the regime of the former Libyan ruler, Muammar Gaddafi. Handed a half-decade incarceration, he has emerged as the pioneering past president of an EU country to go behind bars, and the first French leader since the shamed head of the Vichy regime, Marshal Pétain. Within a nation where the chosen leader holds a near-royal standing, this week's extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

During a period when faith in political institutions in France has plummeted to the extent where the lights are flashing red, it was also a instructive example that no one is above the law. In a poll released on Tuesday, two-thirds of respondents indicated that they believed a majority of politicians were corrupt, and almost 90% said that most acted mainly out of self-interest. In sentencing the former president and directing that his sentence should commence promptly, the presiding magistrate, the judicial authority, noted that she considered both the extremely serious character of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Legal Challenges

These considerations might be seen as ordinary, especially given that the ex-president has before been convicted in separate corruption cases. However the Sarkozy trial and its consequences have troublingly exposed the scope to which in France, as in other countries, the judicial framework is threatened by a recently popular contempt for the judiciary and the attempted manipulation of societal perspectives.

Following a populist playbook, an thorough and detailed court case has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a legal conspiracy and political retaliation. After the verdict in September, the former president effectively denounced his judgment as invalid and decried the "hatred" with "no boundaries" that reportedly inspired it. Since senior politicians and backers from the right and far right have saturated public discourse and conservative press with the similar rhetoric, Ms Gavarino has obtained multiple threats.

Societal Feedback

Reassuringly, the public largely rejects this narrative. Research following the judgment found clear majorities supporting both the conduct of the courtroom process and his conviction. But the turmoil, and the obvious try to undermine the reputation of the judicial system, was in all likelihood only a preliminary test. In January, the far-right leader's legal challenge against a conviction for embezzlement of political funds will take place. If unsuccessful, the far-right National Rally leader will be ruled out from competing in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a perilous moment for the national legal system to navigate. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed before his own appeal, after an application by his lawyers. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the court system before, during and after his trial have created a negative standard.