Sarkozy, Corruption and What This Means for Les Républicains
Former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has been found guilty of illegal campaign finance and sentenced to a year of house arrest. (Image Credit: UMP Photos via Flickr under Creative Commons License)
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been convicted of illegal campaign financing in what has become known as the Bygmalion scandal, the BBC reports. He was sentenced to three years, two suspended, wearing an electronic tag in his home last Thursday in French high courts.
This is the second sentence Sarkozy has received on the basis of corruption following on from a string of allegations relating to bribes, embezzlement and criminal conspiracy. Both of these verdicts are being challenged by Sarkozy and his extensive network of supporters, many of whom are authoritative figures in the Republican Party, have been rallying around their former leader in recent days.
On Thursday Sarkozy was convicted of spending 42.8 million euros on his unsuccessful re-election bid in 2012, 20 million euros over the legal limit. Sarkozy was seen as instrumental in organising the funnelling of money from public relations firm Bygmalion to the UMP (Union pour un mouvement popualaire - now the Republican Party) instead of into his official campaign. This money was never publicly declared and used to host back-to-back, large-scale campaign rallies in stadiums all over France. Along with Sarkozy, 13 other individuals were convicted, among them the former director general of the UMP, the 2012 campaign’s director of finance and the co-President of Bygmalion.
Sarkozy’s crimes have created uproar amongst many of the French population. Here, a protestor holds a sign loosely translated as “Down with the lice that are the Republicans”. (Image Credit: Jacques Billaudel via Flickr under Creative Commons License)
In addition to this ruling, Sarkozy is in the process of appealing a conviction delivered to him in March of this year sentencing him to three years, two suspended, in prison for attempting to bribe a judge in 2014 so that the Bygmalion case would be dropped.
In what could be a third and incredibly impactful case, Sarkozy is currently under investigation for allegedly receiving 50 million euros from now deceased dictator, Colonel Gaddafi of Libya, to finance his 2007 election campaign. Libyan whistleblowers state that a French-Lebanese businessman made three trips from Tripoli to Paris in 2006, each time carrying briefcases of millions of euros in cash to be delivered to Sarkozy and his campaign. In 2011, Gadaffi’s son told Euronews: “We financed [Sarkozy’s] campaign and we have the proof”. If Sarkozy was found guilty of this third allegation, he would almost certainly receive a severe sentence.
These rulings and investigations are certainly unprecedented in France, so much so that Sarkozy and his allies believe he is being unfairly punished. Yet they do sign post the end of an era of presidential impunity that has previously had France’s ruling political class protected and in many instances, without checks on their power. But even if Sarkozy is being made an example of, his alleged crimes are certainly grievous and their repercussions will assuredly be felt across the political spectrum.
These convictions signpost the end of presidential impunity in France. This has made some consider this to be a ‘with-hunt’ against Sarkozy. (Image Credit: Sylke Ibach via Flickr under Creative Commons License)
These rulings will no doubt affect the Republican Party the most, especially going into an election year. Many Republicans have been broadly supportive of Sarkozy throughout the trial. Sarkozy has said that many of his former colleagues “are once again baffled” by these convictions.
The current leader of the Republicans, Christian Jacob, wrote on his Twitter: “After a court decision that will not fail to shock many of our compatriots, I want to demonstrate on my behalf and on the behalf of the Republicans, our affection and support for Nicolas Sarkozy”. Similarly, frontrunners in the Republican nomination race for the 2022 election, Valérie Pécresse, Eric Ciotti and Michel Barnier have all expressed their support with Xavier Bertrand questioning the severity of the punishment. However, influential figures on opposite sides of the spectrum have lambasted Sarkozy, denouncing him as a traitor and liar. Current President, Emmanuel Macron, is yet to make an official comment.
Sarkozy has been branded as a liar by many on the left of the political spectrum. (Image Credits: Sylke Ibach via Flickr under Creative Commons License)
Although the Republicans are portraying a unified and strong front, these convictions and allegations will likely affect their bid for the Presidency in 2022. As it stands, pollsters still predict a second round featuring incumbent Macron and his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen, but the Republicans have not been ruled out. Xavier Bertrand has strong momentum spurring him on in the race to become the Republican nomination as the party fights to reclaim voters from Le Rassemblement national. Yet these signs of corruption will only deter prospective new or returning voters; many voters joined Le Pen and her party to fight against the perceived elite that flaunt their wealth to bolster their power. Sarkozy has indeed fallen into this clique. Perhaps dragging the Republican Party down with him.
