French president, Nicolas Sarkozy•©️AFP
Paris, November 26, 2025.- This Wednesday, the Court of Cassation confirmed Nicolas Sarkozy's conviction to one year in prison, six months of which are closed, in the Bygmalion case, rendering the decision final. The former President is now considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. This verdict came as he was preparing to publish a new book, a calendar that could amplify the political and media impact of the decision.
Nicolas Sarkozy's appeal was dismissed, confirming the judgment of the Paris Court of Appeal of 14 February 2024. Three other defendants – Guillaume Lambert, Éric Cesari and Pierre Chassat – also have their convictions upheld. The Court of Cassation did not judge the merits of the case but ensured procedural regularity, which was found to be in conformity.
At the heart of the case, a system of false invoices introduced in 2012 to mask the campaign expenses of the former president. The Bygmalion agency had admitted to billing the UMP for Sarkozy's campaign services. The latter has always denied having known it, without contesting the existence of the facts.
This new conviction adds to an already loaded criminal record: in September 2025, he was sentenced to five years in prison in the Libyan financing case for his 2007 campaign and in December 2024, to one year in prison under electronic bracelet in the so-called "Bismuth" case for corruption and influence trafficking.
The timing of this decision upsets the release of his book Le Journal d'un prisoner, presented as a reflection on France and power. Never before had a former President of the Fifth Republic accumulated so many final convictions, a situation which could fuel a debate on public morality and French justice.
W.A.
