France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy to wear electronic tag after losing graft case appeal

France’s highest appeals court on Wednesday upheld a corruption and influence peddling conviction against former president Nicolas Sarkozy, ordering him to wear an electronic tag for a year—marking the first time a former French head of state has faced such a penalty.

Sarkozy, previously found guilty of illegal attempts to secfavoursvors from a judge, will “evidently” respect the terms of the conviction following the Court of Cassation’s ruling, his lawyer Patrice Spinosi told AFP. However, Spinosi added that Sarkozy intends to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) within weeks.

This move to the Strasbourg-based court will not delay the enforcement of Wednesday’s decision. Sarkozy has exhausted all legal options in France, and the sanction now comes into effect.

Spinosi described the ruling as a “sad day” where “a former president is required to take action before European judges to have condemned a state over whose destiny he once presided.”

In 2021, a lower court found that Sarkozy and his former lawyer Thierry Herzog formed a “corruption pact” with Judge Gilbert Azibert to obtain and share confidential information about a legal investigation. The court handed Sarkozy a three-year sentence—two years suspended, with the remaining year to be served as home detention under electronic monitoring. That ruling was upheld by an appeals court last year.

Sarkozy, 69, has maintained his innocence throughout, with his lawyer affirming that he would “not give up this fight.”

The former president, who served from 2007 to 2012 before losing re-election, has been plagued by legal battles since leaving office. Alongside the current case—referred to as “Bismuth”—Sarkozy faces separate charges over campaign finance overspending and allegations of Libyan financing for his 2007 presidential campaign.

Despite his legal woes, Sarkozy remains a prominent figure on the French right and is known to hold significant influence. He also maintains ties to President Emmanuel Macron, with whom he reportedly meets on occasion.

Sources told AFP that Sarkozy recently visited the Elysee Palace to discourage Macron from appointing centrist Francois Bayrou as prime minister, a figure Sarkozy is said to deeply dislike. However, after weeks of hesitation, Macron ultimately named Bayrou to the role.