Conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy: the end of the right-wing appeal for the 2022 presidential election
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy when he was a candidate for the primary of his Les Républicains party, September 19, 2016 during a meeting in Franconville, near Paris AFP - MARTIN BUREAU
Text by: Anne Soetemondt Follow
18 min
This is a first in France: a former President of the Republic sentenced to prison.
This Monday, March 1, Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of corruption and influence peddling in the so-called wiretapping affair.
A heavy sentence: three years in prison, two of which were suspended.
A conviction which the former French head of state immediately appealed to.
With this conviction, the prospect of an appeal by Nicolas Sarkozy in 2022 evaporates.
Publicity
Read more
It was not until the conviction of its champion that it displays its unity: this Monday, the right spoke with one voice.
Very quickly after the announcement of the sentence, the boss of the Republicans (LR) party, Christian Jacob, reacts.
On Twitter, he disseminates a statement on behalf of LR.
The keywords are there: "
unwavering support
" for Nicolas Sarkozy, "
severe and disproportionate sentence
", "
judicial harassment
" of the national financial prosecutor's office.
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
LR deputy, Pierre-Henri Dumont is not surprised: “
The PNF [National Financial Prosecutor's Office] played its head in this affair.
For several years, he has been leading a charge against all the elected officials, in particular from the right.
It is justice that is used for political ends.
"
Listen to our special edition on the conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy
Why such support for Nicolas Sarkozy?
The former president is still irreplaceable today on the right.
From his former ministers to his former spokespersons, including the new generation, everyone on the right admits it: Nicolas Sarkozy remains inescapable.
“
The reality is that he is the last to win a presidential election.
If today, we do not yet have a natural candidate, it is perhaps because they are not yet at his level,
”explains Pierre-Henri Dumont.
A year or so from the 2022 presidential election, the natural candidate for the right remains untraceable.
In the opinion of many, neither Xavier Bertrand, nor Valérie Pécresse, nor Michel Barnier, nor Bruno Retailleau, nor Laurent Wauquiez would have the stature to wear the colors of the right.
So even if Nicolas Sarkozy is officially retired from political life, he remained until Monday March 1 at 1:30 p.m. a possible savior.
Symbol of his aura: the former president was regularly consulted and visited in his offices at 77 rue de Miromesnil in Paris.
►
To read also: France: consternation on the right after the conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy for corruption
Can this conviction be a game-changer in 2022?
It is quite possible that on the right things will change.
If officially, we support Nicolas Sarkozy, unofficially, in the teams of Xavier Bertrand, Valérie Pecresse and Bruno Retailleau, we have probably also seen the small window of fire that opened on the road to 2022.
Note also these reactions in the opposition which show that the conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy is far from being politically trivial: "
#Sarkozy condemned, #Macron rid of a serious rival,
" tweeted Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
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
On the side of the National Rally, MEP Gilbert Collard is licking his chops: “
It is clear that the exclusion by this decision of Nicolas Sarkozy deprives the right of an appeal.
This has an indisputably advantageous character for his opponents.
It would be a lie not to say so.
"
►
To read also: France: the other cases which await Nicolas Sarkozy
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
French politics
Nicolas sarkozy
Presidential France 2022
Emmanuel Macron
On the same subject
Case of "eavesdropping": Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to three years in prison, one of which is closed
France: dismay on the right after the conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy for corruption
France: other business awaiting Nicolas Sarkozy