Imagine if former King Juan Carlos lived in Madrid rather than the United Arab Emirates. Picture that the former king has an office just a few hundred meters from Moncloa. Suppose that it is judges who pursue charges, not prosecutors, and imagine a retiree who still counsels Pedro Sánchez and meets Alberto Núñez Feijóo. It might sound like fiction, yet a scenario with a former French president echoes in France today with Nicolas Sarkozy.
The head of state in France from 2007 to 2012 was tangled in a string of corruption cases and has endured multiple legal rulings. Yet this has not stopped him from remaining an influential figure in politics. President Emmanuel Macron and Eric Ciotti, the current head of the Republicans, have had to navigate Sarkozy’s enduring presence. His repeated dealings with the justice system have kept him at the center of political attention, where some consider him a controversial figure in the upper echelons of French power.
Last Wednesday the Paris Court of Appeal sentenced Sarkozy to one year in prison with six months suspended and the rest conditional. The charge centers on excessive spending in the 2012 campaign, labeled as illegal financing linked to the Bygmalion affair. This case revolves around inflated invoices intended to break campaign spending limits during the Elysee race, totaling more than 40 million euros beyond the allowed amount.
Un aliado y socio de Macron
Since May of last year Sarkozy earned a suspended prison sentence in a separate case tied to wiretaps. He has become the first former president in the Fifth Republic to be convicted twice in a second instance. Early next year, a new and more complex trial is expected, centered on alleged Libyan funding for Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign and linked to a fourth case involving a witness’s alleged false testimony. The path ahead for Sarkozy suggests further judicial scrutiny, even as he pursues a busy calendar of conferences and business law work, estimated to bring in several million euros annually.
Despite a lengthy ledger of investigations, Sarkozy is unlikely to be imprisoned in the near term. As with prior cases, his lawyers plan further appeals, and the matter could rise again to the country’s highest court for review. In the meantime, Sarkozy maintains an active public life that blends public appearances with private business.
Analysts describe Sarkozy and Macron as not friends but allies with a working understanding. A political pact, whether formal or informal, shapes how their teams interact and how networks across the right operate within the current administration. Observers note the two leaders seldom speak ill of each other, while Macron relies on Sarkozy’s networks to navigate political realignments. The journalist Etienne Girard described the arrangement as a pragmatic accord, in which Sarkozy guides some party networks and Macron provides space for them to influence policy through the inner circle of government.
Experts also caution that this relationship is not about personal affinity but strategic coordination. Macron consults Sarkozy when reshuffling the government, and several ministers with strong ties to Sarkozy occupy important roles in the current cabinet. The influence of Sarkozy’s circle has grown, and several close allies continue to hold senior positions within the government and party structures, underscoring a subtle but persistent power dynamic.
Some observers argue that Sarkozy’s sway extends beyond cabinet appointments. They point to the manner in which his former allies and protégés help steer policy and political conversation, shaping the direction of the republic. Others worry that this alliance underscores a broader pattern in which political operators maintain leverage even after electoral defeats. The balancing act between legal accountability and political expediency remains a focal point of public debate in France.
As the political landscape evolves, Sarkozy’s impact on the trajectory of right-wing politics continues to be felt. His role in bridging generations of leadership and his ongoing presence in national discourse keep him at the center of discussions about governance, accountability, and the tension between justice and power. The public and political class alike watch closely, weighing the implications for future coalitions and the governance of the republic.