Overview

• The Paris criminal court sentenced Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison for association de malfaiteurs, acquitting him of corruption, receiving funds and illegal financing, and ordered a deferred custody mandate with immediate enforceability.
• Sarkozy says he will seek no presidential pardon, maintains his innocence, and cites the court’s own doubts about a 2012 Mediapart note while asserting his view that the document is likely a fake and part of a plot.
• Two investigations were opened into threatening messages targeting the presiding judge; the CSM and Gérald Darmanin condemned the threats, and the Magistrates’ Union criticized Emmanuel Macron’s continued silence.
• François Bayrou warned that widespread use of exécution provisoire risks making appeals purely theoretical, a criticism also voiced by other political figures after the ruling.
• Sophie Binet argued the decision underscores judicial independence and equality before the law, while political analysts say the fallout could benefit the RN’s anti‑institution narrative.