The Paris judicial court rejected the request of Nicolas Sarkozy aimed at merging his sentences in the Bygmalion and Bismuth cases. The decision, handed down this Monday behind closed doors in chambers, means that the former president of the Republic will have to serve separately the sentence pronounced in the case of the illegal financing of his 2012 presidential campaign.
This information comes just days before the start of the appeal trial related to the alleged Libyan financing of Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign.
The refusal to allow the sentences to be combined means that the former head of state could be required to wear an electronic bracelet again to serve the custodial portion of his sentence.
A decision that is subject to appeal
The decision handed down by the Paris court is not final. Nicolas Sarkozy still has the option to appeal this ruling.
The former president's lawyer, Patrice SpinosiHe did not wish to comment publicly on the decision after the hearing, which was held behind closed doors.
Aged 71, Nicolas Sarkozy hoped to obtain the merger of the sentences handed down in the two legal cases in order to avoid the execution of the second sentence, believing that he had already served the first.
The conviction in the Bygmalion case
In the Bygmalion case, Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on February 14, 2024 by the Paris Court of Appeal to a one-year prison sentence, including six months of mandatory imprisonment, for illegal financing of his 2012 presidential campaign.
The conviction became final on November 26, 2025, after the Court of Cassation rejected the appeal filed by the former president.
During the appeal hearing, the judges decided to modify the custodial portion of the sentence, allowing it to be served in an alternative form to traditional incarceration, such as wearing an electronic bracelet or a semi-liberty regime.
This sentence was slightly less than that handed down in the first instance in 2021, when the criminal court sentenced Nicolas Sarkozy to one year in prison.
A second conviction in the Bismuth case
The conviction related to the Bygmalion case constitutes the second entry on Nicolas Sarkozy's criminal record.
The first final conviction concerns the wiretapping case, also known as the Bismuth case. In this case, the former president was sentenced to three years in prison, one year of which was to be served under house arrest with an electronic tag, for corruption and influence peddling.
The decision became final in December 2024.
Nicolas Sarkozy wore an electronic bracelet between February 7, 2025, and May 12, 2025, as part of his sentence. Then 70 years old, he applied for parole before serving half his sentence, a measure permitted by law for individuals of that age.
The request for the merging of sentences was based in particular on Article 132-4 of the Penal Code, which provides for the possibility of merging several convictions when they concern distinct offences judged separately.
A new appeal trial in the Libyan case
Nicolas Sarkozy's legal troubles are not yet over. The former president is due to appear in court again starting March 16th for the appeal trial concerning the alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign.
In the initial trial, Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy in this particularly sensitive case. Following this decision, the former head of state spent approximately three weeks in detention.
The opening of this appeal trial constitutes a new stage in one of the most closely followed legal cases in French political life.
