France’s Court of Cassation has definitively upheld former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction for illegal campaign financing during his failed 2012 re-election bid, closing his last avenue of appeal and cementing a one-year prison sentence (six months suspended).

The 70-year-old conservative leader is expected to serve the term under house arrest with an electronic bracelet.

The ruling marks Sarkozy’s second final conviction this month. Just two weeks ago, he was released after serving 20 days in La Santé prison in a separate case involving alleged secret Libyan funding for his victorious 2007 campaign — a sentence he continues to appeal.

In the 2012 case, investigators found Sarkozy’s UMP party (now Les Républicains) spent nearly €43 million, almost double the legal limit of €22.5 million, on lavish rallies dubbed “Sarkozy Shows.” To conceal the overspending, the party used fake invoices from event company Bygmalion. Sarkozy has consistently denied knowledge of the fraud, blaming party officials and the agency. Judges, however, rejected that defense, citing his direct involvement in campaign decisions and the scale of the deception.

Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, now has three criminal convictions on his record:

• 2021: Three years (two suspended) for corruption and influence-peddling in the “wiretapping affair.”
• 2025: One year (partly suspended) for the Libyan financing case (still under appeal).
• 2025: One year (half suspended) for the 2012 campaign fraud (now final).

Legal experts say the cumulative rulings effectively end any realistic hope of a political comeback. Sarkozy has not held elected office since 2016, and his 2022 presidential ambitions were blocked by earlier convictions.

Reactions from his allies were muted, with some denouncing the decisions as “judicial harassment.” Opponents hailed the outcome as proof that “no one is above the law.” President Emmanuel Macron has declined to comment on the ongoing Sarkozy cases.