In March 2021, Sarkozy was convicted of attempting to fraudulently get information regarding a probe into his campaign financing from a court.

He has consistently rejected the allegations, and his attorneys have said that he would file an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Sarkozy was charged with attempting to collect information regarding an inquiry into his campaign finances from Gilbert Azibert, a judge who was afterwards assigned to a high-paying post in Monaco.

According to prosecutors, Sarkozy and his lawyer, Thierry Herzog, promised Azibert a position in Monaco in return for information regarding the probe.

Azibert was also convicted in the case and sentenced to one year in jail with a one-year suspension.

The conviction of Sarkozy is a severe blow for the former president, who has been attempting a political comeback.

He had planned to run for president again in 2024, but his conviction would make it impossible.

The Sarkozy issue has also been a huge source of embarrassment for France's political elite.

Sarkozy is not the first and probably not the last corrupted French leader, but he is the country's first former president to be convicted of a felony since the Fifth Republic was established in 1958.