On November 21, 2025, France was abuzz with the announcement that former president Nicolas Sarkozy would soon publish a book chronicling his recent, unprecedented stint behind bars. Titled Le journal d’un prisonnier (The Diary of a Prisoner), the 216-page memoir—published by Fayard, a house under the influence of conservative media magnate Vincent Bolloré—will hit shelves on December 10 at a price of €20.90. For many, the book’s arrival marks not just a literary event, but a seismic moment in French political history.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, became the first former head of state in modern French history to go to jail after his conviction in the so-called Libya affair. The court found him guilty on September 25, 2025, of participating in a criminal organization over alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. The sentence was harsh by any standard: five years in prison and a €100,000 fine. According to AP, the verdict sent shockwaves through France, dividing public opinion and igniting fierce debates about justice, democracy, and political revenge.
The book’s announcement came less than two weeks after Sarkozy’s release from Paris’s notorious La Santé prison, where he spent 20 days in provisional detention this autumn. In a statement posted to his X account, Sarkozy offered a glimpse into his prison experience: “In prison, there is nothing to see and nothing to do. I forget the silence that does not exist at La Santé, where there is so much to hear. The noise is, unfortunately, constant. But, as in the desert, the inner life grows stronger in prison.” According to Keystone-SDA, he added, “the inner life in prison is strengthened like in the desert.”
Those close to Sarkozy say he felt compelled to share his ordeal with the French public, hoping to provide an unvarnished account of a period that tested his resolve and reshaped his perspective. As one confidant told El País, the former president “wanted to share his experience with the French people” and tell “the story of his life,” especially “this difficult period.”
Sarkozy’s time at La Santé was marked by stringent security measures. He was under 24-hour surveillance by two agents, who even slept in an adjoining cell. In a gesture that drew scrutiny and criticism, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin—once a protégé of Sarkozy—visited him in prison. According to Le Monde, Sarkozy was also received by President Emmanuel Macron before entering prison, further underscoring his continued influence in French conservative circles despite ongoing legal troubles.
His imprisonment, brief as it was, was not the end of Sarkozy’s legal saga. On November 10, after 20 days in provisional detention, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled that his continued incarceration was not justified, citing no risk of flight or destruction of evidence. He was released under strict conditions: a ban on leaving French territory and a prohibition on contact with certain officials, including Darmanin. The appeal process is set to begin on March 16, 2026, and is expected to run until June 3. Until then, Sarkozy remains in a legal limbo—free, but under close watch and with the shadow of further trials looming.
The details of Sarkozy’s conviction are as riveting as they are controversial. The court found that, during his 2007 campaign, Sarkozy allowed aides to seek funds from then-Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi. This revelation, reported by Le Monde and AP, was a bombshell in French politics. Never before had a president been so directly implicated in foreign campaign financing. Sarkozy has consistently maintained his innocence, and his supporters claim the prosecution is politically motivated—a form of institutional revenge against a divisive figure. Opponents, on the other hand, see the conviction as a testament to the health of French democracy and the principle that no one is above the law.
The book itself promises an intimate, day-by-day account of life inside La Santé. According to a press release from Fayard, each of the 20 days Sarkozy spent in prison is recounted in detail, resulting in an average of just under 11 pages per day. The publisher, which is part of Bolloré’s media empire (including CNews, a channel seen as increasingly influential in right-wing circles), has described the memoir as both a personal reflection and a document of historical significance.
Sarkozy is no stranger to the written word; he has authored several books since leaving office. But The Diary of a Prisoner is unique in its candor and context. In his own words, “Like the desert, one’s inner life is strengthened in prison.” It’s a theme he returns to repeatedly, suggesting that confinement, far from breaking him, forced a period of intense introspection. “But, as in the desert, the inner life grows stronger in prison,” he wrote, echoing sentiments expressed in his public statements and social media posts.
The circumstances of Sarkozy’s release also generated headlines. Despite the severity of his sentence, he was allowed to go free after the appeals court determined there was no flight risk or danger of evidence being destroyed. However, the court imposed several restrictions, including a ban on foreign travel and limits on whom he could contact—measures designed to ensure the integrity of the upcoming appeal. As El País and Le Monde reported, these details fueled further debate in France about whether Sarkozy was being treated too harshly or too leniently.
Sarkozy’s legal woes do not end with the Libya affair. He has already been convicted in two other cases, though he managed to avoid jail time in both—one sentence was served with an electronic tag, which has since been removed. In a further blow to his reputation, Sarkozy was stripped of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest distinction, a move that underscored the gravity of his fall from grace.
Yet, despite these setbacks, Sarkozy remains a powerful figure on the French right. His meetings with President Macron and Minister Darmanin before and during his incarceration are reminders of his enduring political connections. Whether The Diary of a Prisoner will rehabilitate his image or simply deepen the divides in French public opinion remains to be seen.
With the book’s release imminent and an appeal trial set for March, all eyes will be on Sarkozy as he navigates the next chapter of his storied—and stormy—career. For now, France waits, book in hand, to read the reflections of a leader who, for better or worse, has never shied away from the spotlight.
