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As he arrived at the Parisian detention facility this week, Nicolas Sarkozy published a declaration filled with opposition via social media, stating, "This isn't a ex-leader of the republic facing incarceration today, but rather an wrongfully accused individual." A court of appeal is set to rule on the accuracy of his claim. Yet sadly for the ex-president, the spectacle and significance of his fall cannot be dismissed.

The Guilty Verdict

President of France from 2007 to 2012, the former president was judged culpable of illegal collaboration to acquire illegal financing from the regime of the former Libyan ruler, Colonel Gaddafi. Given a five-year prison term, he has become the pioneering past president of an EU country to go behind bars, and the initial French president since the disgraced head of wartime France, the Vichy leader. Across France where the democratically selected head of state enjoys a quasi-monarchical status, Tuesday's extraordinary spectacle was a defining instance.

National Faith and Legal Accountability

During a period when confidence in political systems in France has declined drastically to the extent where alarms are sounding, it was also a salutary demonstration that no one is above the law. In a poll published recently, a majority of participants indicated that they thought a most of elected officials were unethical, and nearly nine out of 10 reported that many operated primarily out of self-interest. When convicting the former president and ordering that his prison term should start immediately, the court official, the judicial authority, noted that she factored in both the exceptionally grave nature of the crimes and the fact that they were "potentially erode the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be deemed typical, particularly since that the ex-president has before been sentenced in separate corruption cases. However the former president's case and its fallout have alarmingly revealed the extent to which across the country, as in other countries, the rule of law is jeopardized by a increasingly common disdain for courts and the effort to control of societal perspectives.

In Trumpian fashion, an thorough and detailed legal process has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a judicial plot and leftwing vendetta. After the verdict last month, the former president publicly criticized his sentence as invalid and censured the "hatred" with "no limits" that supposedly drove it. As high-ranking leaders and backers from the conservative and extremist have filled the airwaves and traditional outlets with the similar rhetoric, the judicial figure has received multiple threats.

Societal Feedback

Reassuringly, the citizens largely rejects this narrative. A survey after the ruling found significant majorities supporting both the conduct of Mr Sarkozy's trial and his punishment. However the drama, and the naked attempt to undermine the reputation of the judicial system, was very likely only a preliminary test. During winter, Marine Le Pen's appeal against a judgment for embezzlement of political funds will be heard. If the appeal fails, the conservative figure will be disqualified from participating in the upcoming election.

Long-term Effects

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a perilous moment for the country's courts to handle. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed prior to his appeal hearing, after an application by his lawyers. But the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the judicial framework before, during and after his trial have set a damaging precedent.