Sarkozy describes his prison stay and advises on appealing to the far right in his new book
PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy In a book published on Wednesday that also offers political advice on how his conservative party should appeal to far-right voters, he described the prison where he spent 20 days as a loud, harsh “totally grey” world of “inhuman violence”.
In “Diary of a Prisoner”, the 70-year-old man says that his tough stance against crime gained a new perspective and describes the extraordinary change in his life after being exposed to crime. found guilty of complicity He was financing his winning campaign in 2007 with funds from Libya.
The court sentenced him in September. five years imprisonmenta decision he appealed. was given to him Release under judicial supervision 20 days later behind bars.
The book offers a rare look inside La Santé prison in Paris, where Sarkozy was held in solitary confinement and kept strictly away from other inmates for security reasons. His loneliness was broken only by regular visits from his wife, supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and her lawyers.
Sarkozy wrote that his cell resembled “a cheap hotel except for armored doors and bars,” with a hard bed, a plastic-like pillow and a shower that provided only a thin stream of water. He described the “deafening noise” of the prison, most of it at night.
When he opened the window on his first day behind bars, he heard a prisoner “incessantly hitting the bars of his cell with a metal object.”
“The atmosphere was threatening. Welcome to hell!”
Sarkozy said he rejected meals served on small plastic trays with “mushy, soggy baguettes”; He wrote that the smell of them made him sick. Instead, he ate dairy products and cereal bars. He was allowed one hour a day at a small gym where he mostly used a simple treadmill.
Sarkozy said that many violent incidents were reported to him during his time behind bars and that it was a “nightmare”.
“The most inhumane violence was the daily reality of this place,” he wrote, raising questions about the prison system’s ability to reintegrate people into society after their sentences have been served.
Known for his harsh rhetoric on punishing criminals, Sarkozy said he promised himself, “When I am released, my comments will be more detailed and nuanced than what I have expressed before on all these issues.”
political repercussions
Beyond describing prison life, Sarkozy used the book to offer strategic policy advice to his conservative Republican party, revealing that he had spoken by phone from prison with far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who was once a fierce rival.
He wrote that Le Pen’s National Rally “is not a danger to the Republic.” “We do not share the same ideas on economic policy, we do not share the same history… And I point out that there may still be some problematic figures among them. But they represent so many French people that they respect the election results and participate in the functioning of our democracy.”
Sarkozy argued that the reconstruction of his weakened Republican party “can only be achieved with the broadest possible spirit of unity.”
The Republican party has in recent years been moving away from the decades-old view among the parties that any electoral strategy should aim to contain the far right, even if it means losing a district to another rival.
Still, political analyst Roland Cayrol said Sarkozy’s comments came as a “thunderclap” in the face of French conservatives’ decades-long stance that the National Rally “does not share the same values” as the far right and that “no electoral alliance is possible.”
The former president from 2007 to 2012 has been retired from active politics for years but remains highly influential, especially in conservative circles.
Following Sarkozy’s comments, top Republican officials refrained from calling for a real cooperation agreement with the National Rally, saying instead they wanted to focus on ways to get far-right voters to elect conservative candidates.
Relations with Macron are tense
Sarkozy also talked about his old friendship with centrist President Emmanuel Macron. The two men met at the Élysée presidential palace just days before Sarkozy was imprisoned.
According to Sarkozy, Macron offered to transfer him to another facility, citing security concerns at La Santé prison, but he refused. Instead, two police officers were assigned to the neighboring cell to guard him around the clock.
Sarkozy said he lost confidence in Macron after the president did not intervene to prevent Macron. Removed from the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award is in June.
Sarkozy was found guilty last month illegal campaign financing His re-election bid in 2012 was a major blow to his legacy and reputation. He was sentenced to one year in prison, half of which was suspended. He can now serve this sentence at home and will be monitored with an electronic bracelet or other conditions determined by the judge.
Last year, the French supreme court upheld the decision of the appeals court, which found Sarkozy guilty. trying to bribe a judge in exchange for information about legal proceedings in which he is involved.
