• Five former relatives of the former President of the Republic Nicolas Sarkozy have been on trial since October 18 and for four weeks in the so-called “Elysee polls” affair.

    They are suspected of having commissioned numerous opinion polls without respecting public procurement rules.

  • Claude Guéant and the former chief of staff of Nicolas Sarkozy, Emmanuelle Mignon, appear for “favoritism” and “embezzlement of public funds by negligence”.

    Patrick Buisson, former adviser to former head of state, is dismissed for "concealment of favoritism", "embezzlement of public funds" and "abuse of social assets".

  • Nicolas Sarkozy denounced Tuesday the decision of the Paris court forcing him to testify, refusing to answer questions in the name of his presidential immunity.

At the Paris judicial court,

Suddenly, a little before 2 p.m., Nicolas Sarkozy burst into the courtroom, surrounded by his security agents. Dark suit and tie, black mask, the former President of the Republic comes to the bar, hailing a cuckoo. He does not appreciate having been forced, by the president of the 32nd correctional chamber of the Paris court, to come and testify this Tuesday in the case of the Elysée polls. It is true that this is a great first in the annals of justice: never had a former head of state been forced to explain himself on the facts in connection with acts accomplished in the exercise of his functions. "From my point of view, this decision is not constitutional and above all, it is totally disproportionate", explains the principal concerned straight away.

In an introductory statement of ten minutes, Nicolas Sarkozy specifies the reasons why he has "no right" to answer the questions of the magistrates who have tried, for two weeks, five of his former advisers and collaborators in this case costly surveys ordered without a call for tenders.

The former secretary general of the Elysee, Claude Guéant, the former chief of staff of Nicolas Sarkozy, Emmanuelle Mignon, and his technical adviser "opinion", Julien Vaulpré, appear for favoritism.

The former pollster Pierre Giacometti and the very right-handed political scientist Patrick Buisson are on trial for concealment of favoritism.

"No right" to answer questions

Protected by the Constitution, the 66-year-old former head of state has never been prosecuted or heard by justice in this case. “There is a principle that goes far beyond me, it is the separation of powers. Elected President of the Republic, I do not have to give an account of the composition of my cabinet or of the way in which I exercised my mandate in front of a court ”, he continues, his hands folded in front of him. Nicolas Sarkozy develops his reasoning: “Article 67-1 of the Constitution provides for irresponsibility only for acts linked to the exercise of the office of President of the Republic. This irresponsibility, which we could call immunity, does not stop with the end of the exercise of the mandate: it is final. "

Nicolas Sarkozy confesses to having hesitated to come.

He had the choice between "escalation", that is to say forcing the gendarmes to bring him by force to testify in court, or "to come, without renouncing my convictions, that is to say without answer your questions ".

It is ultimately this second solution that was preferred by the former president, who feels "a great feeling of injustice".

He was the first "to have had this strange idea of ​​bringing the Court of Auditors into the Elysée".

“If I had not had this idea, your court would not have taken up this case.

"

"No doubt I was not clear enough"

The president of the chamber, Benjamin Blanchet, then begins to list his questions. "No doubt I was not clear enough and I apologize for it", continues Sarkozy. “If I start answering a quarter of a tenth of the questions, that means I came here to explain the facts. »Alas, the magistrate continues his reading. In particular, he wants to know if the former collaborators of the Head of State have carried out his orders, as they claim. "Do not see any rebellion or lack of respect", adds the witness, who "has no intention of violating the Constitution". "If I answered your questions, the very principle of the separation of powers would no longer exist."

"Monsieur Buisson's place, Monsieur Guéant, Madame Mignon, I don't have to explain myself in court," he said once more, waving his arms.

Or we enter the government of judges ”.

Finally, pressed for questions, Sarkozy ended up answering a question concerning his relations with Patrick Buisson.

The latter had mentioned, during a hearing, his "physical and intellectual presence at all times" alongside the tenant of the Elysee.

“Physical?

It's a joke.

I was on the move every day and didn't need a cane or a tutor ”.

In three quarters of an hour, the case was folded.

Nicolas Sarkozy is done with justice.

For today at least.

Justice

Elysee polls: Nicolas Sarkozy, absent from a trial of which he is the central figure

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  • Patrick Buisson

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  • Nicolas sarkozy