The unprecedented jailing of a former head of state exposed deep divisions over justice and the legacy of Nicolas Sarkozy’s years in power.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first head of state in the history of the European Union to be imprisoned.
The 70-year-old went to La Santé prison in Paris on Tuesday morning to begin serving a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy linked to the Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign.
Sarkozy left his home in the French capital around 9:15 am CEST, hand in hand with his wife, singer and former model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
The couple embraced before he entered a police vehicle that drove him directly to the gates of the only prison in Paris, where he is to be held in solitary confinement.
Meanwhile, from the crack of dawn, hundreds of supporters gathered near the Sarkozy family residence in the upscale 16th arrondissement after the ex-president's sons called for a show of solidarity.
The crowd waved French flags, chanting “Nicolas, Nicolas," some with tears streaming down their faces.
“It’s not right to send him to prison,” said one woman waving a French flag. “It’s completely absurd. There were other options like an electronic bracelet, community service. This is just to humiliate him, to humiliate France," she told Euronews.
An elderly supporter echoed her sentiment: “What he did doesn’t deserve prison. It’s totally abhorrent.”
Another woman holding a poster that said "We are with you Nicolas" said she felt “embarrassed,” adding that France now looked “like a developing country" for jailing an ex-head of state.
A younger man described his reaction as one of “Deep sadness for someone who led our nation for five years. This punishment feels very harsh.”
Not everyone in the crowd was sympathetic. At one point, a lone protester shouted “Sarkozy to prison!” before being drowned out by boos and being asked to leave.
Sarkozy could be freed before Christmas
Sarkozy’s incarceration marks an unprecedented moment in French political history.
The former president has appealed his conviction — as has the financial prosecutor’s office. Sarkozy can request release only after officially entering prison, which his lawyers did immediately on Tuesday.
Under French law, judges have up to two months to decide, though a ruling could come sooner. The court has until 21 December to respond, meaning that, if successful, Sarkozy could be freed before Christmas.
However, if the court upholds his detention, he will have the right to file further requests while awaiting a new trial.
According to his legal team, Sarkozy will remain completely isolated from other inmates for security reasons.
“He will have one hour a day alone in a fenced courtyard,” his lawyer Christophe Ingrain told reporters, adding that Sarkozy brought “a few sweaters because it’s cold and earplugs because it’s noisy.”
He will also be granted access to a small library and gym area, but only when no other inmates are present. Staff members, rather than prisoners, will deliver his meals.
“The goal,” said prison director Sébastien Cauwel during an interview with BFMTV, “is to ensure he never crosses paths with another detainee.”
Sarkozy was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to secure millions of euros in illegal campaign financing from the regime of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The Paris court justified immediate imprisonment even before appeal, citing “the seriousness of the disruption to public order” caused by the crimes.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted Sarkozy at the Élysée Palace last week, said it was “normal on a human level” to receive his predecessor.
Speaking this Tuesday, Macron refused to comment directly on the court’s decision but acknowledged the emotional impact of the moment: “It’s understandable that the image of a president being imprisoned would provoke strong reactions,” he said.