The French ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy (66) has been sentenced to one year in prison for illegal campaign financing.
The prison sentence is higher than that required by the prosecutor, who had pronounced themselves in prison for six months without parole. But: According to the court, the sentence will be commuted so that he does not have to go to jail – wearing an ankle bracelet and community service are conceivable.
But the former president (2007 to 2012) is likely to appeal and thus remain at large for the time being.
The trial concerned the failed campaign for his re-election in 2021. In the election campaign, the public prosecutor said that his conservative party exceeded the statutory spending limit of 22.5 million euros at the time.
The campaign was almost twice as expensive as allowed – partly because a lot of money went into extravagant campaign appearances. According to investigators, the party used a PR agency close to it to disguise the overspending.
Sarkozy had denied the allegations against him. In June he said in court that he was not involved in the campaign logistics. However, the court ruled that Sarkozy had been informed of the overspending, but had not intervened.
It is the second judgment against Sarkozy this year, who still enjoys influence in parts of the conservative party. In early March, a French court sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment, including two years on probation, for corruption. Sarkozy appealed the verdict and was released.
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