France's Highest Court Upholds Guilty Verdict for Sarkozy in Illegal Campaign Funding Case

France's highest court has upheld the guilty verdict against former President Nicolas Sarkozy for illegal campaign financing during his 2012 re-election bid, sentencing him to six months in prison. The court stated that Sarkozy not only approved the election campaign spending, but was also aware that the expenses would exceed the legal limit.

Sarkozy was indicted for exceeding the legal campaign spending limit and submitting false invoices during the 2012 presidential election. The public relations firm Bygmalion, hired by Sarkozy, spent at least €42.8 million during the campaign, far exceeding the legal campaign spending limit of €22.5 million at the time under French election law.

In September 2021, the first instance court sentenced Sarkozy to one year in prison, and in February 2024, the appeals court sentenced him to one year in prison, including a six-month suspended sentence. Sarkozy appealed to the Supreme Court, but it rejected the appeal, finalizing his conviction.

Sarkozy served as President of France from 2007 to 2012, pursuing economic recovery and social reforms, but was embroiled in several scandals. He has also been implicated in allegations of receiving illegal funds from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in the past, which are currently under investigation by French prosecutors.

This guilty verdict is seen as a reaffirmation of the legal responsibility and electoral ethics of politicians. The French court has emphasized the transparency of political funds with this ruling, and it is expected that the French political sphere will now have to apply stricter standards for financial management.