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While he made his way at La Santé prison on Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy shared a statement filled with opposition via social media, writing, "This isn't a ex-leader of the republic who is being jailed this morning, but rather an innocent man." The appeals judiciary is set to decide regarding the truthfulness of this assertion. But unfortunately for the ex-president, the drama and impact of his decline cannot be ignored.

The Conviction

The French head of state during the 2007-2012 term, Mr Sarkozy was judged culpable of criminal conspiracy to secure illicit campaign funds from the administration of the deceased Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Handed a half-decade incarceration, he has emerged as the first former leader of an European Union nation to be imprisoned, and the initial French president since the disgraced head of Vichy France, Philippe Pétain. Across France where the elected president holds a near-royal standing, Tuesday's extraordinary spectacle was a historic occasion.

Citizen Confidence and Judicial Responsibility

In an era when trust in government bodies in France has plummeted to the degree where the lights are flashing red, it was also a sobering reminder that everyone is subject to the law. In a poll published on Tuesday, two-thirds of respondents said that they felt a majority of politicians were corrupt, and almost 90% claimed that most operated primarily out of personal gain. When convicting Mr Sarkozy and ordering that his prison term should start immediately, the judge, the judicial authority, said that she considered both the profoundly severe aspect of the violations and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Legal Challenges

Those thoughts might be considered unexceptional, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has before been found guilty in other graft trials. Yet the Sarkozy trial and its consequences have troublingly exposed the degree to which across the country, as in different nations, the legal system is threatened by a increasingly common disdain for courts and the try to influence of the popular view.

Following a populist playbook, an thorough and detailed court case has been groundlessly presented by Mr Sarkozy's supporters as a courtroom scheme and political retaliation. Following the ruling last month, the ex-leader effectively denounced his sentence as invalid and decried the "hatred" with "no boundaries" that supposedly drove it. Since senior politicians and backers from the traditional and radical have filled the airwaves and conservative press with the same talking points, the judicial figure has been subjected to various menaces.

Public Response

Hearteningly, the population largely rejects this narrative. A post-verdict poll found significant majorities endorsing both the handling of the courtroom process and his punishment. However the drama, and the obvious try to weaken the standing of the legal system, was very likely just a trial run. Next year, the far-right leader's appeal against a guilty verdict for diversion of electoral finances will take place. Should she lose it, the conservative figure will be ruled out from participating in the future campaign.

Coming Consequences

Within a divided and skeptical country, that will be a perilous moment for the national legal system to handle. The former president may yet be released ahead of his next legal challenge, after an application by his lawyers. But the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the legal system throughout his proceedings have established a harmful example.