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While he arrived at the Parisian detention facility this week, the former French leader published a declaration brimming with opposition via social media, writing, "This isn't a former president of the republic entering prison this morning, it's an innocent man." An appellate court is set to decide regarding the veracity of this assertion. But unfortunately for Mr Sarkozy, the spectacle and significance of his downfall cannot be ignored.

The Guilty Verdict

The French head of state between 2007 and 2012, Mr Sarkozy was found guilty of illegal collaboration to secure prohibited donations from the administration of the late Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi. Handed a five-year sentence, he has been recorded as the initial ex-head of an EU member state to enter prison, and the earliest French head of state since the shamed head of wartime France, Marshal Pétain. Within a nation where the chosen leader holds a almost king-like position, Tuesday's remarkable event was a historic occasion.

Public Trust and Judicial Responsibility

At a time when trust in government bodies in France has plummeted to the point where warning signs are evident, it was also a sobering reminder that everyone is subject to the law. In a poll released this week, a majority of participants said that they felt a most of government figures were unethical, and almost 90% said that most operated primarily out of self-interest. In sentencing Mr Sarkozy and mandating that his incarceration should start immediately, the court official, the judicial authority, said that she factored in both the extremely serious character of the violations and the fact that they were "potentially erode citizens' trust."

Judicial Threats

Those thoughts might be deemed typical, especially given that the ex-president has before been convicted in separate corruption cases. But the former president's case and its aftermath have disturbingly laid bare the scope to which within the nation, as in different nations, the legal system is endangered by a increasingly common contempt for the judiciary and the attempted manipulation of public opinion.

Using divisive tactics, an thorough and detailed legal process has been falsely depicted by the former president's allies as a legal conspiracy and ideological revenge. After the verdict recently, the former president effectively denounced his sentence as illegal and censured the "hatred" with "no restraints" that allegedly motivated it. While senior politicians and backers from the traditional and radical have filled the airwaves and right-leaning media with the similar rhetoric, the judge has obtained various menaces.

Public Response

Encouragingly, the citizens does not appear to be buying it. Research following the judgment found comfortable majorities endorsing both the conduct of the courtroom process and his punishment. Yet the spectacle, and the naked attempt to undermine the reputation of the court system, was most probably only a preliminary test. Next year, the National Rally figure's appeal against a judgment for diversion of electoral finances will occur. If the appeal fails, the political candidate will be disqualified from running in the upcoming election.

Future Implications

Across a fragmented and doubtful society, that will be a dangerous time for the national legal system to handle. Mr Sarkozy could still be freed ahead of his next legal challenge, after an application by his legal team. Yet the irresponsible and baseless attacks on the court system before, during and after his proceedings have set a damaging precedent.