Illegal campaign financing: Former President Sarkozy must serve six months in prison

Former French head of state Nicolas Sarkozy must serve six months in prison in another legal case over illegal campaign financing. The Court of Cassation in Paris rejected the 70-year-old’s appeal against his sentence. This is now legally binding.

However, Sarkozy does not have to serve his sentence in prison. A prison judge will now decide the type of conversion sentence. Ankle bracelets can be imagined.

Sarkozy’s lawyer said conservative groups had taken note of the decision. They will consider whether to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Lawyers do not expect a decision on the type of prison sentence to be lightened for several weeks.

20 million is too much to spend

The case is not about Libya, for which Sarkozy was recently jailed. Instead, it’s about Sarkozy’s failed re-election as president in 2012 and the money his team spent on it. Spending on election campaigns is limited in France to create more equal opportunities between candidates. In 2012 the upper limit permitted was 22.5 million euros.

In an appeal process last year, the court found that Sarkozy’s team had exceeded the fee limit by at least around 20 million euros. To cover excessive spending, the spending was said to be disguised by his UMP party – which has now changed its name to Les Républicains – using a fictitious invoice system. Sarkozy is not said to be the inventor of the system, but he is said to have ignored important information. He was sentenced to a total of one year in prison, including six months of probation.

Sarkozy has always rejected these accusations. His lawyer Vincent Desry said: “Nicolas Sarkozy is completely innocent of the charges against him in this case.” He did not spend any funds and did not know that the expense limit had been exceeded.

Anklet and prison

For the former president, the decision was another bitter defeat in his years-long battle with the French justice system. At the beginning of the year he had to wear an ankle bracelet for approximately three months. The sentence was imposed for bribery and illicit influence – charges Sarkozy has always denied.

And because he was said to have sought funds from Libya for his 2007 election campaign, the former French civil right-wing figure was jailed a month ago. The politician who is familiarly called “Sarko” is now allowed to leave the cell under certain conditions. Sarkozy also denied all the accusations in this case. He called his sentence a scandal and appealed.

Sarkozy has been known for scandals before

The once charming figure of Sarkozy has fallen into various beliefs and is still considered an influential voice. The conservatives’ tenure at the Élysée Palace from 2007 to 2012 was marked by affairs involving wealthy friends, self-serving members of the government, and nepotism. Sarkozy ultimately lost his re-election bid as president in 2012 to socialist François Hollande. Five years later he failed the party’s internal selection process for the presidential election.