Nicolas Sarkozy’s jail term halved in illegal campaign funds case

The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been given a six-month jail term on appeal, after being found guilty of illegal campaign financing for the vast, showman-style political rallies of his 2012 re-election attempt.

The Paris court of appeal confirmed a lower court’s guilty verdict for Sarkozy, who was convicted of hiding illegal overspending in the presidential election he lost to the Socialist candidate François Hollande.

The appeals court gave Sarkozy a lower sentence than the original court: a one-year year prison term, half of which was suspended. The six-month prison term can be served through means such as wearing an electronic bracelet, without going to jail.

But the sentence will be put on hold as Sarkozy’s lawyer announced he would contest the decision at France’s highest court. “Today’s ruling is highly questionable,” said Vincent Desry, adding that his client was innocent.

France’s highest court, the Cour de Cassation, typically focuses on whether the law has been applied correctly rather than on the facts of the case. Procedures before the court can take years.

The Sarkozy case has been labelled the “Bygmalion” affair after the name of the events company that organised his elaborate and artfully filmed stadium gigs in front of thousands of flag-waving fans.

Prosecutors said Sarkozy spent nearly €43m (£37m) on his 2012 campaign – almost double the permitted €22.5m.

He denied any wrongdoing or illegal overspending.

In another case in March 2021, Sarkozy became France’s first postwar president to be handed a custodial sentence when he was given a three-year jail term, two years of which were suspended, for corruption and influence peddling over attempts to secure favours from a judge. This verdict was confirmed by an appeals court last year. But Sarkozy also launched an appeal to the Cour de Cassation

The former president has faced several court cases but he is yet to serve any sentences because of appeal processes.

In 2025, Sarkozy will face trial in relation to potentially the biggest allegation against him: that he took money from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to illegally fund his victorious 2007 run for the presidency. He denies any wrongdoing and has complained of being “accused without any physical evidence”.

Despite the legal cases, Sarkozy still enjoys considerable influence and popularity on the right of French politics.