France: dismay on the right after the conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy for corruption
Nicolas Sarkozy at the Paris courthouse, March 1, 2021. REUTERS - GONZALO FUENTES
Text by: RFI Follow
7 min
“Sadness”, “amazement” in the face of a “judicial harassment” for the political family of the former president, a “reassuring” or even “historic” verdict on the left: the conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy to three years in prison, one of which is closed, this Monday, March 1, for "corruption" in the so-called "eavesdropping" affair, provoked strong reactions in the political class.
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On the right, the
condemnation of the former president
goes very badly.
“
The severity of the sentence adopted is absolutely disproportionate and reveals the judicial harassment of an already highly contested institution.
All light will have to be shed on the methods and independence of the PNF
[the National Financial Prosecutor's Office, editor's note], ”the president of the Republicans Christian Jacob said on Twitter.
Steadfast support for @NicolasSarkozy.
The severity of the sentence retained is absolutely disproportionate and revealing of the judicial harassment of an already highly contested institution.
All light will have to be shed on the methods and independence of the #PNF.
- Christian JACOB (@ ChJacob77) March 1, 2021
“
A former President of the Republic is obviously not above the law
, reacted to RFI Annie Genevard, LR vice-president of the National Assembly.
But justice should not be more severe with such or such on the grounds of the functions which it could occupy
.
"
The boss of senators Les Républicains Bruno Retailleau deplored him "
an extremely harsh sentence in a particularly weak case
".
"
All avenues of appeal must be used so that he can wash his honor and that the whole truth be made,
" said the president (ex-LR) of Hauts-de-France Xavier Bertrand.
Nicolas Sarkozy, who has always claimed to have never committed "
the slightest act of corruption
", has just announced that he was going to appeal his conviction.
Asked by RFI, MEP Geoffroy Didier said he was "
surprised
" by this verdict.
"
There is a professional secrecy between a lawyer and his client
" which must be respected, according to him.
If he does not want to speak of "
judicial harassment
", Geoffroy Didier, himself a lawyer, evokes on the other hand a "
political relentlessness
": "
For many years, Nicolas Sarkozy has been a target of choice, of political attacks, caricatures;
mockery that ends up bearing fruit unfortunately, in the ballot box and perhaps in the courtroom ...
"
This Monday evening, the right is therefore united behind the former president, insisting on the appeal lodged, and that therefore Nicolas Sarkozy is again presumed innocent.
But behind this historic judicial moment, it is indeed politics in question: the former head of state was still for many on the right a possible recourse for 2022. Today's conviction is a game-changer.
"
A historic verdict
" on the left
On the other side of the political spectrum, the reactions are quite different.
According to the national secretary of Europe Ecology Les Verts, Julien Bayou, this judicial decision is reassuring for the French democratic system: “
It shows that there is not one justice for the poor and another for the powerful.
"
It is the sign of a democracy in good shape, in good health, to be able to judge one of its own leaders.
This is good news, no matter what you think of the judgment.
Everyone can be judged for their actions and not just the little moped thief.
Julien Bayou, national secretary of Europe Ecology-The Greens
Aurélien Devernoix
For the Communist deputy Sébastien Jumel, this court decision is necessarily historic.
“
It's not nothing, a former President of the Republic sentenced to one year in prison.
This is unheard of under the Fifth Republic,
”he told RFI in particular.
The right loses one of its potential candidates.
It is a hard blow for the right and it is a hard blow for the man Sarkozy.
But I imagine that if the justice made this decision, the file is substantial and it is a political tsunami.
It is also, I believe, the signal that must be given to the political class to set an example at all levels.
Sébastien Jumel, Communist deputy
Aurélien Devernoix
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