Former right-wing French President Nicolas Sarkozy has gone on trial alongside 11 others, including former ministers, over allegations that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi illegally financed his successful 2007 presidential campaign.
The charges include passive corruption, illegal campaign financing, embezzlement of public funds, and criminal association.
The trial, which began Monday, features key figures like Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, believed to be an intermediary.
Takieddine has fled to Lebanon and is not expected to testify. Sarkozy denies any wrongdoing and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The case first emerged in 2011 when a Libyan news agency suggested that Gaddafi’s regime funded Sarkozy’s campaign.
Gaddafi claimed responsibility, stating, “It’s thanks to us that he reached the presidency. We provided him with the funds that allowed him to win,” without offering details.
Despite initially welcoming Gaddafi to Paris in 2007, Sarkozy was a leading proponent of military intervention in Libya during the Arab Spring, which ultimately led to Gaddafi’s death in October 2011.
In 2012, French publication Mediapart released a document allegedly from Libyan intelligence, claiming Gaddafi agreed to fund Sarkozy’s campaign with €50 million—far exceeding the declared €20 million campaign expenditure. Sarkozy dismissed the document as a forgery and filed legal complaints.
However, in 2016, French investigators concluded the document appeared authentic, though no definitive proof of the funds transfer has emerged.
This is not Sarkozy’s first legal battle. He was previously convicted in connection to his 2012 re-election campaign finances. While his prior convictions have marred his political legacy, the Libyan financing scandal could have the most lasting impact.
The trial marks a critical moment in French political history, shedding light on high-level corruption and foreign interference claims that could reshape public trust in the nation’s leaders.
