Nicolas Sarkozy is back where he used to be – dominating the news and dividing the nation.
Thirteen years after he left office, he is about to become the first former French president to be sent to prison after getting a five-year term for criminal conspiracy.
And the circumstances are full of the same sulphurous contention that used once to mark his every move.
Fresh from his sentencing in the 'Libyan money' trial on Thursday, he spoke with incandescent rage about the 'limitless hatred' of which he said he was still a victim.
From the moment he emerged as a champion of the right, Sarkozy was convinced he had been the target of a left-wing cabal within the French judiciary and media.
And with this sentence - he thinks – has come more incontrovertible proof.
His supporters are questioning the judicial process, particularly why the court cleared him of three of the four charges against him—illegal party funding, embezzlement of Libyan funds, and corruption—convicting him only of 'criminal association,' a charge often levied against those in organized crime.
However, the court's decision did not spare him from a severe sentence, compelling him to serve five years in prison, a shocking 20 years after the offence.
Sarkozy's case has reignited the passion and contention surrounding his influence in French politics. The right and far-right group, including Marine Le Pen, have rallied in defense of his stance, claiming judicial overreach, while the left criticizes it as a glaring example of the privileges afforded to the elite.
While Sarkozy's political clout may have waned, the ramifications of his case undeniably reflect the complex fabric of French society and its ongoing struggles with power and justice.
