Nicolas Sarkozy or “The Godfather Posture”

It completes the waves

“Sarceau,” as the French have almost affectionately nicknamed him, happily gives long interviews these days. point, at Picaroat parisian, Also works in television sets and radio studios. Here and there, he dispenses good and bad points about Le Pen, Hollande or Pécrés; He provides his analysis on domestic politics and expresses his opinion on international politics, far from diplomatic use, for example “Ukraine should remain neutral and not become a member state of the European Union”. Words that immediately stir up controversy, but isn’t that the goal?

“Shame”, “terrible mistake”: Nicolas Sarkozy criticized after comments on Ukraine

Nicolas Sarkozy may not hold any electoral mandate since he left the Elysée ten years ago, but he remains a fixture in French political life and remains popular with public opinion. In a recent popularity poll Paris competition, the former host of the Élysée came in fifth. “The French love him for his thuggish side, his iconic personality and his monetary expressions. Analyzes Alexis Massart, director of Ecopolis. Nicolas Sarkozy left his mark with expressions such as ‘we must gentrify the suburbs’, an idea still accepted by a certain number of French people on the right.. Later, the political scientist asserts, “He has been accused of crimes committed by many politicians before him – let’s remember the suitcases of banknotes that circulated in the political world in the 1990s – and many French people do not hold it against him. ”.

The man appears calm, freed from his irritating physical tics and the chaotic state of his personal life. His analyzes of world news are sometimes very interesting, and he is the last undisputed champion of the right, a party perpetually in search of a charismatic leader.

Imprisonment was imposed

However, Nicolas Sarkozy was the first former president of the republic to be sentenced to prison. Last May, a Paris appeals court handed down a three-year prison sentence, including one year, against him for “corruption” and “influence pay” in the so-called “wire-tapping” affair, or “Bal Bismuth” (false), the name used during certain phone conversations to evade wiretapping by investigators. ). Until then, only former President Jacques Chirac had been convicted in 2011, but in the case of fictitious jobs in the city of Paris he was given a lighter sentence, suspended for two years.

And that’s not all: Nicolas Sarkozy has also been nominated to the Paris Criminal Court and will be tried between January and June 2025 on suspicion of “passive corruption” and “criminal association” in the case of the Libyan financing of his 2007 election campaign. Ten years imprisonment. To date, his name has been cited or implicated in ten investigations.

“It takes a certain courage to attack a powerful politician”: Judiciary’s grip tightens a little more on Nicolas Sarkozy

Beyond a decade of legitimizing history, Nicolas Sarkozy suffered two resounding defeats in the 2012 presidential election and then in the 2016 primaries, on a par with former US President Donald Trump, all things considered. Popular despite his electoral defeats and his legal troubles.

Godfather pose

How does Nicolas Sarkozy monopolize the political scene in an environment where a failed election or conviction can be enough to interrupt a career, as his former prime minister François Fillon suffered? “Even if he is not in charge, he has a real political communication strategy to occupy that space. Alexis Massard believes. He particularly cares about his connections with Emmanuel Macron, who gives Sarkozy visibility by asking him to represent France at the Japanese prime minister’s funeral in order to thoroughly embarrass Republicans. For example, he knows how to create a buzz by confirming that he will see Gerald Turman at the Elysee in 2027. He deliberately adopts the posture of a sage, a godfather. This role of the kingmaker obviously greatly irritates the franchise, who dreams of putting an end to his former boss.

One question remains: why is the true false retiree from politics, 68, trying to keep the flame alive, not disappearing from the screens? “I don’t believe he is seeking re-election. Quite simply, politics ran through his veins from an early age. “The political animals of his species are unstoppable.”, the political scientist analyzes. From there to imagine he has a fourth block for us…