On September 25, 2025, a Paris courtroom witnessed a historic moment in French politics: former President Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of criminal conspiracy, receiving a five-year prison sentence for his role in an alleged scheme to finance his 2007 presidential campaign with millions of euros from Libya. The verdict marks the first time in French history that a former president has been sentenced to prison, sending shockwaves through the nation's political establishment and igniting debate across the political spectrum.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012 and remains a prominent figure on the political right, was convicted after a decade-long anticorruption probe. The investigation centered on claims that, between 2005 and 2007, Sarkozy and his close associates sought illicit campaign funding from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. According to Al Jazeera, prosecutors alleged that Sarkozy struck a corrupt agreement to support Gaddafi’s government on the global stage in exchange for millions in campaign support, with funds allegedly ferried to Paris in suitcases by a network of Libyan operatives, arms dealers, and intermediaries.
The Paris Criminal Court’s ruling was clear: while there was no definitive proof that Libyan money ended up financing Sarkozy’s campaign, the former president was found guilty of allowing his close aides to solicit financial support from Libyan authorities. As the presiding judge read out the verdict, she stated that Sarkozy had permitted his associates to reach out to Libyan officials "to obtain or try to obtain financial support in Libya for the purpose of securing campaign financing," as reported by CBS News. However, the court acquitted Sarkozy of three other charges, including illegal campaign financing, passive corruption, and concealment of the embezzlement of public funds.
The sentence was unexpectedly severe—five years in prison—and stunned both allies and critics alike. As Reuters described, Sarkozy’s reaction was one of outrage and defiance. Exiting the courtroom, he declared, "This injustice is a scandal. I ask the French people—whether they voted for me or not, whether they support me or not—to grasp what has just happened. Hatred truly knows no bounds." He added, "If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high." Sarkozy has vowed to appeal the decision, but the court ruled that incarceration would proceed even if he does, granting him only a brief period to settle his affairs before reporting to prison.
The trial, which began in January 2025, involved 11 co-defendants, including two of Sarkozy’s former ministers, Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, who were also found guilty of criminal association. One of the most prominent figures in the case, French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, was accused of acting as a middleman in the alleged transfer of Libyan funds. Takieddine, who had previously claimed to have delivered €5 million in cash from Libya to Sarkozy and his chief of staff, later retracted his statement. He fled to Lebanon in 2020 and died in Beirut just two days before the verdict was delivered.
Allegations of Libyan funding first surfaced in 2011, when a Libyan news agency and Gaddafi himself claimed that Sarkozy’s campaign had received secret financial support. In 2012, the French investigative outlet Mediapart published a purported Libyan intelligence memo referencing a €50 million funding agreement. Sarkozy denounced the document as a forgery and sued for defamation. The Paris court ultimately concurred, stating that "it now appears most likely that this document is a forgery." Nevertheless, the court found sufficient evidence to convict Sarkozy of criminal conspiracy based on the actions of his associates and the opaque nature of the financial transactions.
Sarkozy has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the charges are politically motivated. He has argued that the accusations were orchestrated by Gaddafi’s inner circle in retaliation for his support of the 2011 uprising in Libya, which led to the dictator’s downfall and death. During the trial, Sarkozy described the case as a "plot" staged by "liars and crooks," and questioned the credibility of the witnesses, saying, "What credibility can be given to such statements marked by the seal of vengeance?"
The case has also drawn attention to the broader context of Franco-Libyan relations in the 2000s. As CBS News notes, the trial shed light on France’s back-channel diplomacy with Libya during a period when Gaddafi was seeking to rehabilitate his international image. Sarkozy’s election in 2007 was followed by a high-profile visit from Gaddafi to the Elysee Palace, but relations soured dramatically during the Arab Spring, when Sarkozy became one of the first Western leaders to advocate for military intervention against Gaddafi’s regime.
Sarkozy’s legal troubles extend beyond the Libya case. In October 2023, he was charged with witness tampering related to this investigation, and his wife, singer and model Carla Bruni, was charged in 2024 with hiding evidence. In June 2025, Sarkozy was stripped of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest civilian award, after being convicted in a separate case of bribery and influence peddling. He served a year of house arrest with electronic monitoring, though the tag was removed after just over three months due to his age. Additionally, Sarkozy was convicted last year for illegal campaign financing in his failed 2012 re-election bid, receiving a sentence of six months in prison and another six months suspended. This verdict is currently under appeal at France’s highest court.
The severity of Sarkozy’s sentence has sparked fierce debate in French society. Supporters argue that the conviction is the result of a politically charged judicial process, citing the lack of direct evidence linking Libyan funds to Sarkozy’s campaign. Detractors, however, view the verdict as a necessary affirmation of the rule of law and a warning to those in power that no one is above accountability. The case has also fueled broader discussions about corruption, transparency, and the legacy of political leaders in France.
As Sarkozy prepares to appeal his conviction, the nation remains divided over the implications of the verdict. For some, it is a sobering reminder of the importance of integrity in public life; for others, it is a controversial chapter in the ongoing saga of one of France’s most polarizing political figures. What is certain is that the former president’s legal battles are far from over, and the reverberations of this landmark case will be felt in French politics for years to come.