Sarkozy sentenced to five years in Libya corruption case, first French ex-president to face prison
Paris court convicts Nicolas Sarkozy of criminal association linked to Libyan campaign funds; five-year term handed down with no immediate incarceration, as allies are also sentenced.
A Paris court on Thursday convicted former French President Nicolas Sarkozy of criminal association and sentenced him to five years in prison in connection with a long-running inquiry into Libyan financing for his 2007 campaign. The 70-year-old politician will not be jailed immediately; a date to begin serving the sentence will be set later, in a verdict that marks the first time a former French president has been ordered to serve time in prison.
The panel of judges found Sarkozy guilty of criminal association dating from 2005 to 2007, when he served as interior minister, for allowing close aides to seek campaign funds from Libyan officials in exchange for diplomatic favors. The court said the conspiracy aimed “to prepare an act of corruption at the highest possible level in the event that you were elected President of the Republic.” The case also touched on the long-running question of whether Libyan funds reached Sarkozy’s campaign, noting that while the court could not prove direct transfers, French law allows conviction if corrupt intent is established. Sarkozy has repeatedly disputed the charges, saying they were the product of ideas pushed by aides without his approval.
Two of Sarkozy’s longtime allies were also convicted Thursday. Former Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux received a two-year sentence to be served under electronic monitoring, while Claude Guéant, Sarkozy’s former chief of staff, was sentenced to six years in prison but spared immediate incarceration for health reasons. Judges said the men had secretly met with Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi, brother-in-law of Muammar Gaddafi, as part of a “corruption pact.” The court also noted it could not prove Libyan funds directly reached Sarkozy’s campaign but reiterated that French law permits conviction based on corrupt intent.
Sarkozy reacted outside the courthouse with his wife, singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, saying he would appeal the verdict. “If they absolutely want me to sleep in prison, I will sleep in prison. But with my head held high. I am innocent. This injustice is a scandal,” he said, insisting he would pursue all legal avenues.
The verdict comes after a three-month trial that began in mid-2023 and followed a years-long investigation that stretched back to 2011, when Libyan officials first claimed Tripoli funneled millions of euros to Sarkozy’s campaign. He led France from 2007 to 2012 and has faced multiple legal challenges since leaving office, including separate convictions for corruption and illegal campaign financing. In court, chief judge Nathalie Gavarino emphasized the severity of the conspiracy, saying it threatened public trust in democratic institutions and could have affected the political direction of the country.
In a broader political moment, the case unfolds as President Emmanuel Macron’s government has leaned on centrist allies. Macron recently named François Bayrou, a longtime centrist ally, as the next prime minister, underscoring the political realignments shaping French governance as the Sarkozy case unfolds in the public sphere.
The decision leaves Sarkozy’s legal path far from over. He has vowed to appeal, and the outcome of further legal processes remains to be seen. The case also highlights a broader pattern of investigations that have stained Sarkozy’s legacy and raised questions about campaign finance rules in France. While Sarkozy has maintained that his hands are clean, the court’s ruling effectively closes but also complicates the debate over the use of foreign money in domestic campaigns and the enforcement of anti-corruption statutes.
Sarkozy’s sentence, while five years, will be determined in terms of actual custody and timing, with prosecutors and defense teams likely to contest the specifics in subsequent hearings. The political implications of the ruling will reverberate through a French landscape still adjusting to post-crisis governance and ongoing scrutiny of how campaign funds are raised and regulated in a modern democracy.