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Sarkozy's Last Appeal: French Top Court Reviews 2012 Campaign Finance Case

01:34 PM, 11/26/2025
Sarkozy's Last Appeal: French Top Court Reviews 2012 Campaign Finance Case

France's Court of Cassation heard a final appeal in the case accusing former president Nicolas Sarkozy of benefiting from illegal financing during his 2012 re-election campaign. Prosecutors say the campaign cost nearly €43 million, almost double the legal cap of €22.5 million. If the conviction is upheld, Sarkozy faces a six-month sentence that could be served under electronic monitoring. The court could also quash the ruling or order a retrial if it finds legal errors.

France's highest court, the Court of Cassation in Paris, heard a final appeal on Wednesday in the long-running case accusing former president Nicolas Sarkozy of illegal financing related to his failed 2012 re-election bid. The hearing is the ex-president's last procedural opportunity to avoid a second definitive conviction arising from political funding irregularities.

What the case involves

Prosecutors allege that Sarkozy's centre-right campaign and his party used the public relations firm Bygmalion to hide the true cost of the 2012 campaign. Authorities say the campaign's expenses amounted to nearly €43 million (about $50 million), close to double the legal limit of €22.5 million. While some co-defendants were accused of implementing a double-billing scheme to mask costs, Sarkozy was held accountable as the campaign's beneficiary rather than as an architect of the alleged scheme.

"I bear no criminal responsibility," Sarkozy has said, calling the allegations "lies."

Possible outcomes

If the Court of Cassation upholds the lower-court judgment, the 70-year-old former president could face a six-month sentence, which may be served under electronic monitoring. The court can also quash the conviction and order a retrial if it identifies legal or procedural errors in earlier rulings.

Context: other convictions and recent developments

Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, has faced several high-profile trials since leaving office. Last month he began serving a sentence in a separate case in which he was convicted of allowing aides to seek funds from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 campaign; he spent 20 days in custody before being released on judicial supervision pending appeal. In December last year he exhausted an appeal in another case and was convicted of trying to extract favours from a judge; that sentence was served under an electronic ankle tag that was removed after several months.

Despite these legal setbacks, Sarkozy remains an influential figure on France's political right. His prison reception by President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year and a criticized meeting with the justice minister while in detention drew public attention and judicial restrictions on further meetings with certain officials. Two weeks after his release, Sarkozy announced plans to publish a book recounting his recent time in custody.

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