Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been granted early release on parole in the case involving the exceeding of campaign spending limits during the 2012 presidential election. This was reported by RTL, citing a source within the judicial authorities.
It was Sarkozy himself who requested an adjustment to the terms of his sentence. The court approved his request on May 5 — the decision was made taking into account the former president’s age: he is 71 years old. It will take effect on May 7.
This concerns the sentence handed down in the Bygmalion affair. That was the name of the public relations agency that managed Sarkozy’s 2012 election campaign. In the autumn of 2021, the court found the politician guilty of illegal financing of his campaign by this firm: actual expenditures had far exceeded the limit permitted by law, while being significantly understated in the official accounts.
Initially, Sarkozy had been sentenced to one year in prison. The sentence was later reduced to six months, with the option of replacing incarceration with the wearing of an electronic ankle bracelet. Now, according to RTL, he will no longer have to wear the bracelet either.
