Sarkozy conviction exposes political divide in crisis-hit France | International

PARIS, Sept 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The dramatic decision to send former president Nicolas Sarkozy to prison for criminal conspiracy has laid bare France's stark political divisions, with the move cheered by the left but slammed by the ascendant right. Sarkozy, seen as a mentor to many conservative politicians, was convicted on Thursday over a scheme enabling late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi to fund his 2007 presidential run. He must serve his sentence while awaiting the outcome of his appeal, and will be the first French postwar leader to serve jail time. The conviction comes at a deeply sensitive moment, with France in political deadlock and the far-right sensing its best ever chance to come to power. Speaking to broadcaster...