2023-05-17 18:29:00
When the Court of Appeal confirms this Wednesday morning the sentence of Nicolas Sarkozy to three years of imprisonment, including a firm for corruption and influence peddling in “the wiretapping affair”, the Republicans hold to their headquarters in the 15th arrondissement of Paris their first “shadow cabinet”.
But the sanction against the founder of the party, unprecedented for a former head of state, is not mentioned in the exchanges. Eric Ciotti just let go, closing the meeting, a laconic “you saw for Nicolas…” Everyone saw the alerts falling on smartphones, no one talked about it.
VIDEO. Wiretapping case: Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced on appeal to imprisonment under electronic bracelet
As if this condemnation was no longer really the problem of the right? “What makes us uncomfortable is his ambiguity vis-à-vis us”, slips a member of the management of LR in reference to Nicolas Sarkozy’s repeated support for the current president of the Republic. And that part of his political family has not forgiven him. In fact, the reactions are for the moment much less numerous than during the conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy at first instance in March 2021.
At the time, the one who had not yet been able to distance himself from Valérie Pécresse’s presidential campaign and who had not yet been sentenced to one year in prison in the context of the Bygmalion affair (this sentence would come six months later) is defended by Christian Jacob, then president of LR, who condemns on Twitter a sentence “absolutely disproportionate and revealing of the relentlessness of an already highly contested judicial institution”. This time, if his successor Éric Ciotti says he is “saddened by the decision and shows his friendship”, he does not speak on the legal aspect.
“He is the victim of relentlessness” for Olivier Marleix
Indignation remains confined to the ranks of loyal Sarkozyists. Nadine Morano denounces an “unfair and unjust decision”, Senator Pierre Charon observes that “if now we confuse intention and corruption, we can put half of the French in prison”. “Obviously, Nicolas Sarkozy is the victim of relentlessness”, also goes there the boss of the LR deputies, Olivier Marleix.
“It is especially becoming a subject for Macron now. He can no longer appear like that with him given the rest of the legal agenda “, wants to believe an LR executive in reference to the Bygmalion trial on appeal and at the request of the national financial prosecutor’s office to send him back to court within the framework of the Libyan funding affair.
Some elected officials are however moved by the deprivation of civil and civic rights of Nicolas Sarkozy decided by the Court of Appeal. ” It’s shocking. Even detainees can exercise their right to vote ”, indignantly an LR leader who prefers to remain anonymous. “It questions indeed”, adds an LR deputy who concludes: “the gossips will tell you that it is one vote less for Emmanuel Macron …”
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