Gavin Grey: UK/Europe Correspondent on Nicolas Sarkozy becoming the first French ex-president to go to jail

Nicolas Sarkozy's become the first French ex-president to go to jail.

He's started a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. 

Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-2012, has appealed against his jail term at La Santé prison, where he will occupy a small cell in its isolation wing.

UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Devin gray are UK euro correspondent, given extraordinary scenes.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Ryan, Yes, he becomes the first French ex president to
go to jail. He's starting a five year sentence for
conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from the
late Libyan dictator Mohamaga Daffi. He denies this. Nevertheless, he
has been sentenced to this time behind bars. And the
last French leader of a political party was sentenced eighty

(00:29):
years ago to prison. That was for treason for being
a collaborator during World War Two. So this is a
really really monumental moment. Sarkas he was president from two
thousand and seven to twenty twelve, and as I said,
he has appeared against his jail term. But it's going
to be pretty tough in there. The Montpasse district south

(00:49):
of the River Seine, which is where this nineteenth century
prison is, it's notoriously overcrowded. He'll be in isolation in
a cell that's roughly nine to eleven square meters and
he will in that have a desk, a shower, a toilet,
a small electric hob and a small fridge. But this
is a huge comedown for the former president and allowed

(01:13):
just one hour a day for exercise. It seems really
pretty tough. Indeed so tough that at the end of
the last week, Sarkas was received at the Elisee Palace
by President Emmanuel Macron. He wouldn't comment on what had
happened to one of his predecessors, but he said, you know,
as a former president, he's entitled to come. And in
another show of support for the ex president, the Justice

(01:35):
Minister said he would go to visit him in prison
as part of his role in ensuring his safety and
the proper functioning of the jail. Safety a big issue.
There are some terrorists in the prison and there are
also some very very heavy criminals. Shall I phrase it
that way?

Speaker 1 (01:50):
It's all about Messi over there, isn't that the politicians
and their brushes with the Lord Because Lapina is still bad,
isn't she from running for president over there? Yes?

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yes, that could change.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Kevin Gray are UK you're a correspondent. For more from
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