Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has described the prison he spent 20 days in as a noisy, harsh grey world of "inhumane violence" in a book out today, which also offers political advice on how his conservative party should reach out to far-right voters.
In "Diary of a Prisoner," the 70-year-old Sarkozy writes that his own hardline stance on crime is seen from a different perspective as he recounts the unusual turn in his life that followed his conviction for criminal conspiracy in financing his 2007 presidential campaign with funds from Libya.
The court sentenced him to five years in prison in September of this year, which he appealed. He was immediately sent to prison after the verdict was pronounced, but after an appeal, he was released under court supervision after 20 days.
His book offers a rare glimpse inside the Paris prison of Sante, where Sarkozy was held in solitary confinement, away from other prisoners for security reasons. His solitude was broken only by regular visits from his wife, former supermodel Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and his lawyers.
Sarkozy wrote that the cell looked like "a cheap hotel, except for the blinds and bars," with a hard mattress, a plastic-like pillow, and a shower with a thin stream of water. He described the prison's "deafening noise," especially at night.
When he opened the window on his first day in prison, he heard a prisoner "tirelessly hitting the bars of his cell with a metal object."
"The atmosphere was threatening. Welcome to hell," Sarkozy wrote.
He wrote that he refused food served in small plastic containers along with "damp, limp baguettes," and that the smell of the food made him sick. Instead, he ate dairy products and cereal bars.
He was allowed one hour a day in a small exercise room where he most often used a basic treadmill.
Sarkozy stated that he had been informed of several violent incidents that occurred while he was in prison, which he called a "nightmare."
"The most inhumane violence was the daily reality of this place," he wrote, raising questions about the prison system's ability to reintegrate people once they have served their sentences.
Sarkozy, who is known for his harsh rhetoric about punishing criminals, said he promised himself that when he was released, he would make more complex and nuanced statements on these topics than he had previously.
In addition to his story about prison life, Sarkozy also offered strategic political advice to his conservative Republican Party in the book and revealed that he had spoken by phone from prison with far-right leader Marine Le Pen, a former bitter rival.
Marine Le Pen's National Rally party "is not a danger to the republic," Sarkozy wrote.
"We do not share the same ideas when it comes to economic policy, we do not share the same history, and I note that it is possible that there are still some problematic figures among them. But they represent so many French people, respect the results of the elections and participate in the functioning of our democracy," Sarkozy assessed.
He assessed that the reconstruction of the weakened Republican Party "can only be achieved through the broadest possible spirit of unity."
The Republican Party has been moving away in recent years from the position the party has held for decades that any electoral strategy must be aimed at containing the far right, even if it means losing an area to another competitor.
Political analyst Roland Cailloux said Sarkozy's words struck a chord given the decades-long stance of French conservatives that the National Rally does not share the same values and that no electoral alliance with the far right is possible.
The former French president, from 2007 to 2012, has been retired from active politics for years but remains very influential, especially in conservative circles, AP points out.
Sarkozy also mentioned his former friendship with centrist President Emmanuel Macron. The two met at the Elysee Palace just days before Sarkozy went to prison.
According to Sarkozy, Macron expressed concerns about security at Sante prison and offered to transfer him to another prison, which he refused. Instead, two police officers were assigned to an adjacent cell to guard him at all times.
Sarkozy said he lost confidence in Macron when he failed to intervene to prevent him from being stripped of the Legion of Honor, France's highest decoration, in June.
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