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While he was transported at La Santé prison this week, Nicolas Sarkozy shared a statement brimming with defiance via social media, writing, "It's not a ex-leader of the nation facing incarceration this morning, it's an innocent man." An appellate court will in time decide regarding the veracity of that statement. However, regrettably for the ex-president, the spectacle and impact of his decline cannot be dismissed.

The Guilty Verdict

France's leader from 2007 to 2012, the former president was found guilty of illegal collaboration to secure prohibited donations from the government of the late Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi. Handed a five-year sentence, he has become the first former leader of an European Union nation to go behind bars, and the initial French president since the shamed head of wartime France, Philippe Pétain. Across France where the democratically selected head of state enjoys a quasi-monarchical status, this week's remarkable event was a defining instance.

Public Trust and Judicial Responsibility

In an era when trust in government bodies in France has collapsed to the point where the lights are flashing red, it was also a sobering reminder that no one is above the law. According to a survey published recently, over 65% of those surveyed said that they felt a most of politicians were dishonest, and nearly nine out of 10 said that many operated primarily out of self-interest. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and directing that his prison term should start immediately, the court official, the judge, declared that she took into account both the profoundly severe aspect of the crimes and the fact that they were "likely to undermine the people's faith."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be deemed typical, especially given that Mr Sarkozy has in the past been convicted in distinct bribery proceedings. However the Sarkozy trial and its aftermath have troublingly exposed the scope to which in France, as in other countries, the rule of law is threatened by a newly fashionable disdain for courts and the effort to control of societal perspectives.

Using divisive tactics, an exhaustive and meticulous legal process has been baselessly portrayed by his backers as a judicial plot and ideological revenge. Following the ruling in September, the ex-leader publicly criticized his punishment as illegal and condemned the "hostility" with "no boundaries" that reportedly inspired it. Since high-ranking leaders and backers from the traditional and radical have saturated public discourse and right-leaning media with the same talking points, Ms Gavarino has received numerous death threats.

Societal Feedback

Reassuringly, the population seems unconvinced. A post-verdict poll found clear majorities supporting both the handling of the legal case and his sentencing. But the drama, and the naked attempt to damage the credibility of the judicial system, was very likely merely a dress rehearsal. Next year, Marine Le Pen's appeal against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will take place. Should she lose it, the conservative figure will be excluded from running in the upcoming election.

Long-term Effects

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a risky period for the French judiciary to handle. Mr Sarkozy might eventually exit before his own appeal, after an application by his attorneys. But the unfounded and damaging assaults on the legal system before, during and after his proceedings have set a damaging precedent.