Former French President Sarkozy receives new sentence
The French Supreme Court has upheld the sentence handed down to former President Nicolas Sarkozy for illegally financing his 2012 election campaign. This decision is final, according to France24.
The case, widely referred to in the media as the “Bygmalion affair”, is named after the PR company that organised Sarkozy's large-scale campaign rallies. Prosecutors determined that Sarkozy spent nearly €43 million on his campaign, almost double the legal limit of €22.5 million. While other figures involved in the case were accused of double billing to cover expenses, Sarkozy himself was found guilty solely as the beneficiary of the illegal campaign spending.
The court sentenced Sarkozy to one year in prison, with six months of this sentence potentially served under an alternative arrangement, such as wearing an electronic bracelet instead of being held in prison.
Sarkozy had filed an appeal, which delayed the start of his sentence. The appeal process took several years, but France’s highest court has now upheld the decision, making the sentence final.
Previously, on 25 September, Sarkozy was found partially guilty in the so-called “Libyan case”, concerning the financing of his election campaign by the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Earlier, former President Sarkozy also lost his highest state honour, the Order of the Legion of Honour.
