A thunderclap in French political life: former President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced this Thursday by the Paris Criminal Court to five years in prison, with a deferred committal order, in the case of Libyan financing of his 2007 campaign.
A historic conviction
It’s a first: never before had a former French head of state received a prison sentence for criminal conspiracy. Sarkozy, however, escaped the corruption charge. The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office had requested seven years.
The court explained its decision at length: according to the judges, even if direct proof of Libyan money transfers remains fragile, the existence of a corrupt pact between figures close to the Gaddafi regime and Sarkozy’s entourage is established.
Deferred committal order
The former president will not go behind bars immediately, unlike two of his co-defendants. The court granted Nicolas Sarkozy one month to “organize himself” before incarceration, underlining that he had remained present and cooperative throughout the trial.
In front of cameras, Nicolas Sarkozy declared that what happened in court “is of extreme gravity for the rule of law” and for “the trust one can have in justice.” The former president announced that he would appeal and insisted that he was “innocent.”
“And if they absolutely want me to sleep in prison, I will sleep in prison but with my head held high,” Sarkozy declared as he left the courtroom.
The fate of the co-defendants
Éric Woerth, former campaign treasurer, was acquitted.
Claude Guéant received 6 years.
Brice Hortefeux was sentenced to 2 years.
A decision with political repercussions
Legally, Sarkozy escapes the corruption charge because, at the time of the facts, he was not yet president but only a candidate. However, the judges found that he did take part in a criminal conspiracy, while already holding ministerial responsibilities and sworn to uphold the Constitution.
This conviction marks a turning point: the French judiciary has just reminded the nation that even a former president is not above the law.
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