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Nicolas Sarkozy publishes memoir recounting brief prison stint

10.12.2025 15:50
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has released a memoir detailing his recent three-week imprisonment at Paris’s La Santé prison.
Nicolas Sarkozy arrives at La Sant Prison ahead of serving a sentence for criminal conspiracy, Paris, France, 21 October 2025. Beside him, the cover of his latest book, Le journal dun prisonnier, which the former French president wrote during his time in detention.
Nicolas Sarkozy arrives at La Santé Prison ahead of serving a sentence for criminal conspiracy, Paris, France, 21 October 2025. Beside him, the cover of his latest book, "Le journal d'un prisonnier," which the former French president wrote during his time in detention. Photo by Alexis Jumeau/PAP/Abaca

Diary of a Prisoner (Le journal d'un prisonnier), available for pre-order from 10 December 2025, covers his incarceration following a conviction linked to his connections with the Libyan regime.

In the roughly 200-page essay, Sarkozy reflects on life behind bars, the thousands of letters of support he received, and his renewed engagement with Catholicism, including a visit to the sanctuary at Lourdes after his release.

Sarkozy, who was freed in November after appealing a five-year sentence, has embarked on a promotional tour across French bookstores.

His previous essay sold 84,000 copies, achieving bestseller status, and Diary of a Prisoner is expected to surpass that figure.

Reactions to the book have been mixed.

Critics accuse Sarkozy of portraying himself as a victim ahead of his appeal, scheduled for March next year, while supporters suggest that his brief imprisonment may have genuinely changed him.

The memoir also hints at a growing estrangement from President Emmanuel Macron and closer alignment with nationalist forces, advocating for the unification of the French right.

Sarkozy has ruled out a return to active politics.

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Source: IAR/X/@NicolasSarkozy