Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy related to illegal Libyan financing of his 2007 election campaign, was jailed on Tuesday at La Santé prison in Paris, Mediapart reported.
President Emmanuel Macron and Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin moved quickly to show support for the disgraced former leader, while big companies such as Accor and Lagardère also cautiously extended their support.
Meanwhile, French television networks largely downplayed the gravity of the scandal, exposing the anxiety of political and business elites to protect privileges increasingly threatened by judicial oversight.
Mr. Sarkozy, who has long argued that he should be treated “better or worse than any other citizen,” is now facing the reality of a third conviction.
Last Thursday, the Paris Court of Justice’s ruling against illegal Libyan funding for the 2007 campaign ordered immediate detention, pending an appeal, bringing a decade-long saga to a close.
The imprisonment highlights the contradictions in France’s justice system. The former head of state now shares an overcrowded cell in the institution he once criticized.
Questions extend beyond personal downfalls as Mr Sarkozy begins his term in isolation. Will this serve as a deterrent to future corruption or fuel accusations of judicial overreach?