In an op-ed in Le Monde, Italian linguist Raffaele Simone expresses admiration for the French justice system that convicted former President Nicolas Sarkozy in the Kadhafi affair. He views this decision as a rare symbol in Europe of independent justice applied to the powerful. Simone compares the case to other convictions of French elites, highlighting equality before the law.
The conviction of Nicolas Sarkozy in the Kadhafi trial represents an event of exceptional symbolic force, with few precedents in Europe, according to Raffaele Simone, an Italian linguist and essayist. In his op-ed published in Le Monde, he expresses both compassion for the former head of state and admiration for a justice system that brought to completion an extraordinary trial exposed to criticisms and suspicions.
“Without rejoicing in this conviction, one can only be happy that a country like France has the dignity to bring its powerful to justice and condemn them, they who usually consider themselves untouchable,” writes Simone. This decision challenges the widespread opinion that justice is generally more generous with elites than with ordinary people.
Simone cites recent examples in France: in 2011, Jacques Chirac was sentenced to two years' suspended prison for “embezzlement,” “breach of trust,” and “illegal interest-taking.” In 2022, François Fillon received four years in prison, one of which firm, and ten years' ineligibility in the fake jobs affair; a ruling upheld in June as four years suspended, a 375,000 euro fine, and five years' ineligibility, with an appeal to the Court of Cassation. On March 31, Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement of European public funds and declared ineligible for five years.
These cases illustrate, for Simone, an independent, courageous, and free justice that respects equality with absolute rigor. None resulted in a firm prison sentence; for Sarkozy, it remains to be seen if he will be incarcerated. From his Italian perspective, where the powerful are rarely convicted and even less frequently imprisoned, such reservations are inevitable.