Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is attempting to build a dramatic narrative around the three weeks he spent in a Paris prison, as described in his new book “Diary of a Prisoner.”
He says the first thing that struck him was the lack of color, describing the prison as a grey world that “devoured everything.” Sarkozy recounts that on his first day he knelt down to pray, portraying himself as a victim of an “injustice” that he tried to face with moral strength.
In the book, he also shares details about his prison routine: simple meals, concrete floors, a plywood desk, and days spent writing with a pen. He explains how he passed the handwritten pages to his lawyers, who delivered them to his secretary to type, finishing the book shortly after his release.
The book also includes political attacks. Sarkozy accuses President Emmanuel Macron of “looking the other way” during his conviction and imprisonment, presenting this as a lack of institutional solidarity.
The 70-year-old former leader was sentenced in September to five years in prison and a €100,000 fine for the illegal financing of his 2007 election campaign with funds from the Libyan regime. He spent about three weeks behind bars before being released under strict conditions. He has appealed the decision, and his new trial is scheduled to take place from March 16 to June 3 at the Paris Court of Appeal.
