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While he arrived at La Santé prison on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy published a statement overflowing with resistance via social media, stating, "It's not a former president of the republic entering prison today, it's an innocent man." The appeals judiciary will in time decide regarding the veracity of that statement. However, regrettably for Mr Sarkozy, the spectacle and impact of his fall cannot simply be wished away.

The Legal Judgment

The French head of state between 2007 and 2012, the former president was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to obtain prohibited donations from the government of the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Given a five-year prison term, he has become the first former leader of an EU member state to enter prison, and the earliest French head of state since the dishonored head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. In a country where the democratically selected head of state holds a quasi-monarchical status, this week's unprecedented scene was a seminal moment.

Citizen Confidence and Legal Accountability

At a time when confidence in political systems in France has collapsed to the degree where the lights are flashing red, it was also a instructive example that no one is above the law. In a poll published recently, a majority of participants stated that they believed a majority of politicians were unethical, and the vast majority claimed that most behaved predominantly out of personal gain. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his incarceration should commence promptly, the court official, Nathalie Gavarino, said that she considered both the extremely serious character of the offences and the fact that they were "likely to undermine public confidence."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be seen as ordinary, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has previously been convicted in other graft trials. But the legal proceedings and its aftermath have disturbingly laid bare the degree to which in France, as in various states, the judicial framework is endangered by a increasingly common disdain for courts and the effort to control of the popular view.

Using divisive tactics, an comprehensive and precise judicial procedure has been groundlessly presented by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a judicial plot and ideological revenge. Following the ruling last month, the ex-leader openly condemned his punishment as unlawful and decried the "hatred" with "no restraints" that allegedly motivated it. As senior politicians and supporters from the conservative and extremist have filled the airwaves and conservative press with the same talking points, Ms Gavarino has been subjected to numerous death threats.

Societal Feedback

Encouragingly, the public largely rejects this narrative. Research following the judgment found significant majorities endorsing both the proceedings of the legal case and his punishment. However the drama, and the naked attempt to damage the credibility of the legal system, was in all likelihood only a preliminary test. In January, the National Rally figure's court petition against a guilty verdict for misuse of campaign money will take place. Should she lose it, the political candidate will be excluded from competing in the future campaign.

Long-term Effects

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a dangerous time for the French judiciary to navigate. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed before his own appeal, after an application by his attorneys. However the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the court system throughout his case have created a negative standard.