Nicolas Sarkozy Ordered to Serve Six Months in Prison Over Bygmalion Campaign Finance Case

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to six months of actual prison time for his involvement in the Bygmalion campaign finance scandal linked to his 2012 presidential campaign. This decision was confirmed on March 9 by sources close to the matter and follows a series of judicial rulings that solidified his conviction. The Paris Court of Appeal found Sarkozy guilty on February 14, 2024, and the conviction became final on November 26, 2025, after the Court of Cassation rejected his appeal. Initially sentenced to one year in prison in 2021, the sentence was later reduced to six months, with the possibility to serve it under alternative arrangements, such as wearing an electronic bracelet.

The correctional tribunal explicitly rejected a request to merge this sentence with a separate conviction from the Bismuth case, where Sarkozy was sentenced to three years in prison (with one year firm) for corruption and influence peddling—a conviction finalized in December 2024. Sarkozy previously served time under electronic monitoring from February to May 2025 and was granted conditional release owing to his age.

Moreover, Sarkozy faces ongoing legal battles, including an upcoming appeal trial on March 16 concerning the Libyan case, where he was previously sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy and has already spent approximately three weeks in detention.

This development marks a continuation of Sarkozy’s significant legal challenges following his presidency, underscoring the judiciary's firm stance on political campaign finance violations and corruption-related offenses involving the former head of state.