The ruling marks Sarkozy’s second final conviction, further complicating the former president’s ongoing legal battles—while diminishing his slim prospects for a political comeback.
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy spoke in a video call from his cell, describing prison as “gruelling” while acknowledging staff efforts to make it bearable.
As the former leader begins his five-year prison sentence, it is the first time in modern history that a French politician has held the top post before imprisonment.
