Former French President's Conviction Finalised by Supreme Court
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former President of France, has seen his legal fate sealed after the country's highest court rejected his final appeal against a conviction for illegal campaign financing. The Cour de Cassation upheld the earlier ruling, making the conviction for overspending on his failed 2012 re-election bid definitive.
The 'Bygmalion' Affair and American-Style Rallies
The case, famously known as the 'Bygmalion' affair, centred on the elaborate and costly rallies organised for Sarkozy's campaign. Prosecutors detailed how the campaign was shaped by vast, American-style shows held in stadiums, artfully filmed in front of thousands of supporters. Despite warnings from accountants, the spending spiralled out of control.
The prosecution painted a picture of a candidate with a 'couldn't care less' attitude, who insisted on holding one major rally per day even as he was informed he was breaching the official spending cap. The legal limit for the campaign was set at €22.5 million, but Sarkozy's team ultimately spent at least €42.8 million – nearly double the permitted amount. This excessive expenditure was an attempt to fend off his rival, the Socialist François Hollande, who was gaining traction as a 'Mr Normal'.
Legal Consequences and Ongoing Battles
With his appeal exhausted, Sarkozy must now serve his sentence. An appeals court had sentenced him to a one-year prison term, with half of it suspended. This means he faces a six-month prison term, which can be served through alternative means such as wearing an electronic tag, avoiding a return to a cell.
This conviction is not Sarkozy's only legal trouble. He was only released from Paris's La Santé prison on 10 November after serving 20 days in connection with a separate conviction. That case involves allegations of criminal conspiracy and taking illegal campaign funds from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential bid, a conviction he is also appealing.
The former right-wing president, who led France from 2007 to 2012, has faced a barrage of legal challenges since leaving office, marking a dramatic fall from grace for one of the country's most prominent political figures.
