Sarkozy finally convicted: one year in prison for election fraud!

Sarkozy finally convicted: one year in prison for election fraud!

There seems to be no end to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's legal mess. On Wednesday, November 26, 2025, Sarkozy lost his last legal resort in the Bygmalion dossier. The Cour de cassation confirmed the conviction of the Paris Court of Appeal, which in February 2024 imposed a one-year prison sentence, of which six months must be served without parole. This penalty is a consequence of illegal election financing during his 2012 campaign, such as bamada.net reported.

The background is explosive: Sarkozy's campaign spending amounted to almost 43 million euros - an amount that almost twice exceeds the legal limit. To hide these costs, a system of double billing was established within the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), under the pretext of fictitious contracts. While Sarkozy was convicted not of creating false invoices but of being a beneficiary of illegal financing, he is facing serious allegations.

The second conviction

This is the second final criminal conviction for Sarkozy, following the verdict in the “Bismuth” affair in December 2024. In this context, his legal pressure is increasing, especially since he has already been sentenced to five years in prison in another case involving links to Libyan election financing. In this case, Sarkozy was found guilty of being part of a criminal organization, although he was acquitted of the more serious charges of bribery and embezzlement of public funds. tagesschau.de provides further details.

Although Sarkozy vehemently denies all allegations and dismisses them as “fables” and “lies,” the legal hurdles appear insurmountable. As already announced, he will now be summoned to an enforcement judge to clarify the details of his sentence. There are also plans to reduce the prison sentence under certain conditions, for example with an electronic ankle bracelet.

Book about prison time

However, Sarkozy also has new projects during this time. The 70-year-old is planning to publish a book called “Le Journal d’un prisonnier” in which he will reflect on his time in prison. This book will be announced next month, and it remains to be seen how it will be received by its readers.

With a past marked by political scandals, Sarkozy's political career appears to be finally over beyond the legal mess. As his lawyers continue to negotiate the matter, his fate will make headlines in the coming weeks.

There are now other issues that concern French society. For example, wine culture, which has played a central role in France since 1822. A company like Maison Nicolas is a prime example of this, offering an impressive selection of wines and spirits to find the right bottle for every occasion.

Whether Sarkozy wins or loses his legal battles, one thing is certain: he remains an eventful chapter in French political history.