Nicolas Sarkozy is back where he used to be – dominating the news and dividing the nation.
Thirteen years after he left office, he is about to become the first former French president to be sent to prison after getting a five-year term for criminal conspiracy.
And the circumstances are full of the same sulphurous contention that used once to mark his every move.
Fresh from his sentencing in the 'Libyan money' trial on Thursday, he spoke with incandescent rage about the 'limitless hatred' of which he said he was still a victim.
From the moment he emerged as a champion of the right, Sarkozy was convinced he had been the target of a left-wing cabal within the French judiciary and media.
And with this sentence - he thinks – has come more incontrovertible proof.
Supporters are questioning why the court cleared him of three of the four charges against him: illegal party funding, embezzlement of Libyan funds, and corruption. They are also baffled as to why he was convicted solely of the lesser charge of 'criminal association'.
The court’s decision to impose a non-suspensive sentence, which means he must serve time even while appealing, has shocked many. Just when the turbulence surrounding Sarkozy seemed to diminish, it has resurfaced with a vengeance.
Some sympathize with Sarkozy and find truth in his claims of being unfairly targeted by a biased establishment eager to see him fall. Yet, others view him as an egotistical figure whose legal troubles stem from a penchant for bending the law in pursuit of power.
His case serves as a reflection of a deeply polarized France, with the right and far-right rallying around him against perceived judicial overreach, while the left criticizes his situation as a symbol of elite impunity.
Nicolas Sarkozy may have left office, but his case amplifies the ongoing divisions in contemporary French society.
