Ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy remained a dominant force in French politics until justice closed in

Over the years, former President Nicolas Sarkozy has been regarded as a “Teflon figure”, explains Paul Smith, Associate Professor in French History and Politics at the University of Nottingham. “He’s had to wear an electronic bracelet before, and yet he remains influential”, in French public life. He’s marched into trials and watched many attempts to tarnish him fade until now. Today, he’s facing a five‑year prison sentence, no light sentence for a former French head of state. Loyalists on the right hail him as a statesman, even now. Critics call his survival proof of a two-tiered justice system. Whatever your view, this judgment pierces that myth. No one, not even a former president, is beyond the reach of justice.